I had read elsewhere here on the forum, that the GRUB2-BLS option didn’t pay any attention to other installs (i.e. Windows), and that systemd-boot would be a better solution for a dual boot system. If I have misunderstood this, happy to be corrected…
Fine, so I created a new USB installer based on 1106, began the install setup process, and was surprised to see the Boot Loader Settings suggest “GRUB2 with BLS”…
Couple of options spring to mind:
That I have misunderstood - there is no dual-boot problem with “GRUB2 with BLS” - and YAST knows what it’s doing.
That YAST has suggested a Boot Loader Settings install config that will nuke access to the existing Win10 install.
I have no idea what it is supposed to mean. grub2-bls became the default bootloader in Tumbleweed. It does not nuke anything. It simply neither supports the os-prober and the “traditional” grub.cfg nor (tries to) detect Windows EFI bootloader like systemd-boot does. Nothing stops you from selecting Windows in your BIOS boot menu.
Much more serious problem is that Windows creates relatively small ESP which will likely be insufficient to store all kernels and initrds from all snapshots.
Thanks, it sounds like I had misunderstood some of the recent discussion here on the GRUB2-BLS change, and there is no intrinsic problem with it and Win10 dual-boot scenarios.
The ESP in question is 100MB.
Is this the core of the GRUB2-BLS problem in Win10 dual-boot scenarios?
i.e. That this method stores all the kernel snapshots in the ESP, and that this is why the systemdboot option is preferred for dual-boots…
That is definitely too small for a general default installation settings. But installer may have proposed to create a new ESP, we have no way to guess.
Thank you for your assistance. Just a couple more questions if you would indulge me:
When I run the installer again if the installer proposes resizing the ESP to something usefully larger, would you recommend sticking with “GRUB2 with BLS”, or do you still think i’d be better off with “SystemD-Boot”?
Following up on your previous answer, re: GRUB2 with BLS - “Nothing stops you from selecting Windows in your BIOS boot menu.” I’m right in thinking that I would have to resort to BIOS selection of the installed OS’s, and that there wouldn’t be a handy GRUB2 based selection on startup?
@jedibeeftrix All of my new installs use 4GB for the ESP, I have one setup using Windows 11, but that’s Leap 16.0 and just grub2-efi. I always pre-partition my systems then add as required. AFAIK you will need to press the system boot menu key (eg F7, F9, F12 etc) and select from there.
If you wish things to remain as you are used to, don’t accept the grub2-bls suggestion. Grub2-x86_64-efi remains available, and AFAIK, supported same as always. This way, there’s no reason to repartition or create a new ESP or be forced to use your BBS hotkey on every boot that differs from the top priority selection in UEFI BIOS setup. Bonus: your kernels and initrds won’t be living on a FAT filesystem.
it sounds like i should avoid “GRUB2 with BLS”, as this is for my ten year olds PC (so they can flip between Windows for Fortnite and TW for Steam/everything-else). convenience is everything. he’s been quite happy gaming with TW for the last year, but the pressure to play Fortnite with his friends and relatives is growing!
it does feel like if the Yast installer detects a dual-boot Windows machines with a piddly 100MB ESP partition then it ought to change the suggested boot loader selection…
