[OpenIndiana-discuss] Multiboot on PC

[Chris]

On 2021-05-04 12:59, James Madgwick wrote:
> 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.
I would _think_ at this point in time pretty much any (recent version of)
OS would have little trouble installing their firmware into the ESP
making (U)EFI multi-boot pretty simple as compared to the trickery
involved in fooling/abusing the MBR to obtain multi-boot. Isn't it
so w/OI? I _also_ haven't tried (yet).

--Chris
> 
> 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
> 
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