[OpenIndiana-discuss] Multiboot on PC

[James Madgwick]

On Mon, 3 May 2021 20:16:28 +0300
Toomas Soome via openindiana-discuss
<openindiana-discuss at openindiana.org> wrote:
> Only simple way is to use chainloader (point it to OS partition),
> then you are not depending on file system reader implementation etc
> etc.
> 
> rgds,
> toomas

The OI handbook documents use of chainloader just above the text
installer section
(https://docs.openindiana.org/handbook/getting-started/#install-openindiana-using-the-text-installer).

I tested it out a while ago, so far as I can tell it should be
possible to install Linux, MS Windows, OI, BSDs on the same disk.

I only tested it with MBR partition type, not GPT and without (U)EFI.
The handbook says that multibooting is not possible with EFI. I'm not
sure about that, it's possible with other OSs, but as I've not tried it
with OI, I can't comment further.

If it was desired to install MS Win + OI + Linux, I would use a
configuration where GRUB was installed to the MBR and used to boot MS
Win (which GRUB can do itself) and Linux, with GRUB's chainloader used
to load the illunos loader. This could be done the other way round with
the illumos loader loading GRUB. However starting from GRUB is more
convenient as all 3 OSs can be shown on the same selection screen.
illumos loader cannot boot MS Win, unless the Windows loader was
installed to a partition, which may not be possible and is certainly
less convenient than booting directly from GRUB.

Cheers,
James