[Solved] Multiple Linux OS on one internal SSD

[JohnJ]

Greetings all,
My master plan is to tryout a couple (or more) Linux OS on an internal SSD. I will disconnect my Linux Mint 22.2 internal SSD and replace it with another empty Internal SSD. My aim is to install Ubuntu, Zorin and Pop on separate partitions on the empty internal SSD. My question is, how will I be able to choose which Linux OS to launch? Is this something that Grub will somehow be able to do as I install one of the Linux OS? Will Grub automatically know that there are multiple Linus OS or do I have to setup Grup to do this. Cheers
PS. I realise I can have separate Linux OS on separate USB stick for this tryout but I would like to actually install these other OS onto the internal SSD because I think that this is a better test that the USB stick.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

Yes, grub should list you all OS's during boot, whether Linux or Windows.
Some Linux installers may prompt you to scan for OS's which you accept, but it's more likely to be automatic step.

 

[JohnJ]

Yes, grub should list you all OS's during boot, whether Linux or Windows.
Some Linux installers may prompt you to scan for OS's which you accept, but it's more likely to be automatic step.

Great. I have already installed Ubuntu on the empty internal SSD and I noticed before the install that it asked me if I want to install next to/with another OS already installed. Pretty clever of Linux/Grub to do this recognition of multiple OS I reckon.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

Pretty clever of Linux/Grub to do this recognition of multiple OS I reckon.

Pretty much every boot manager has this function, even Windows boot manager has it, except it will list only Windows OS's and ignore the rest, Grub however will list any OS.

 

[JohnJ]

Well. I have had endless problems trying to install Zorin (first) then Ubuntu (second) onto my internal SSD. I have disconnected all my other SSds. I used Ventoy. I might go through my installation problems another time when I am less exhausted but I am now at the stage where I clean installed Zorin with all updates and it works by itself fine. I then attempted to install Ubuntu 'Next to Zorin' as per the ubuntu blurb during the install. I previously attempted to install Zoring and then Ubuntu by partitioning my SSD first using Gparted. No go with lots of white screens of death, lock ups, etc. Finally I just let the Ubuntu installer do it's own thing 'Next to Zorin' and it all seemed to install well. After the install Ubuntu then said to restart, I removed Ventoy and tried to restart. Now there is no Grub splash screen and my SSD always boots directly into Zorin. So how come no Grub? I tried to boot into the bios and an option panel appeared but everything locks up. So, no Grub, cannot boot into the bios and only Zorin loads after restart or power off options tried. Can I somehow tell Grub to appear - that would be a start at least.

 

[wizardfromoz]

John, in your grub file

/etc/default/grub

there will be a couple of lines that may need changing.

One will say, I suspect

GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden

Use a GUI text editor, or Nano from Terminal to change

hidden

to

menu

Save changes, run

sudo update-grub

and reboot.

Let us know.

Chris

 

[CaffeineAddict]

I previously attempted to install Zoring and then Ubuntu by partitioning my SSD first using Gparted. No go with lots of white screens of death, lock ups, etc. Finally I just let the Ubuntu installer do it's own thing 'Next to Zorin' and it all seemed to install well.

This says you didn't partition properly your drive, first, the drive has to be GPT, it needs to have EFI partition which should be formatted only once and not reformatted during 2nd OS install to keep both OS's because on that's where OS boot loaders are stored that grub reads.

You also want to keep boot partition, the only new partition that needs to be made is new root for 2nd OS.

After the install Ubuntu then said to restart, I removed Ventoy and tried to restart. Now there is no Grub splash screen and my SSD always boots directly into Zorin. So how come no Grub?

It's hard to tell, IDK how ubuntu installer works.

 

[JohnJ]

This says you didn't partition properly your drive, first, the drive has to be GPT, it needs to have EFI partition which should be formatted only once and not reformatted during 2nd OS install to keep both OS's because on that's where OS boot loaders are stored that grub reads.

You also want to keep boot partition, the only new partition that needs to be made is new root for 2nd OS.


It's hard to tell, IDK how ubuntu installer works.

Yes, I suspected something like this when I tried to partition the SSD first and before trying to install anything. Anyway I gave up on this approach and just let Zorin install on a clean and reformatted SSD. Then I hoped that Zoring and Ubuntu would know what to do installation wise and Grub wise. So I will now try Wiz's steps to at least see Grub. Wish me luck.

 

[JohnJ]

John, in your grub file

/etc/default/grub

there will be a couple of lines that may need changing.

One will say, I suspect

GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden

Use a GUI text editor, or Nano from Terminal to change

hidden

to

menu

Save changes, run

sudo update-grub

and reboot.

Let us know.

Chris

OK... how do I find then get into /etc/default/grub? Tried a search through hidden files but No go

 

[JohnJ]

OK... how do I find then get into /etc/default/grub? Tried a search through hidden files but No go

OK. Found it and got there. I made the changes via nano. now trying to figure out how to 'run'

 

[JohnJ]

John, in your grub file

/etc/default/grub

there will be a couple of lines that may need changing.

One will say, I suspect

GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden

Use a GUI text editor, or Nano from Terminal to change

hidden

to

menu

Save changes, run

sudo update-grub

and reboot.

Let us know.

Chris

Couldn't find Run in Nano so will try Execute

 

[CaffeineAddict]

Couldn't find Run in Nano so will try Execute

the file is executed by grub during boot, you don't run it manually.

 

[JohnJ]

John, in your grub file

/etc/default/grub

there will be a couple of lines that may need changing.

One will say, I suspect

GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden

Use a GUI text editor, or Nano from Terminal to change

hidden

to

menu

Save changes, run

sudo update-grub

and reboot.

Let us know.

Chris

Have followed your process above and Grub is no longer hidden. Ran update-grub command then rebooted and shutdown. In both cases sadly still no grub menu and OS still defaults to Zorin.

 

[wizardfromoz]

Have followed your process above and Grub is no longer hidden.

By that, do you mean that a grub menu appears? That is at odds with

In both cases sadly still no grub menu...

Just to clarify, Grub is the boot-loader for both, but a Grub Menu shows you a choice of what you can boot into, eg

Yours, once successful, would have maybe 6-8 lines featuring Ubuntu and Zorin.

Maybe you can include a phone pic for us to loo at.

Cheers

Wizard

 

[Brickwizard]

@wizardfromoz

Hi Chris, I have noted several times recently that you have posted pictures, all i get is a blue screen worded not available in your area, Are you using imgur ? had problems with it before, so switched to postimage.com

 

[CaffeineAddict]

imgur

I've learned in another forums that imgur geoblocks some countries for IDK what silly reason, and the person who complained on my imgur images not being visible was from UK as well.

 

[wizardfromoz]

I do, Brian but have had a near faultless success rate with it.

I'll upload it with this post as an attachment, maybe others can let me know if they can't see the image in #14 ? TIA and thanks Brian.

 

[wizardfromoz]

Thanks, @CaffeineAddict

Headed off for my evening meal.

Nite.

 

[JohnJ]

By that, do you mean that a grub menu appears? That is at odds with



Just to clarify, Grub is the boot-loader for both, but a Grub Menu shows you a choice of what you can boot into, eg

Yours, once successful, would have maybe 6-8 lines featuring Ubuntu and Zorin.

Maybe you can include a phone pic for us to loo at.

Cheers

Wizard

Chris. What I am going to do is start again from scratch. What's happened is that I did actually once get up a Grub menu where both Zorin and Ubuntu were showing as options. However, I couldn't select either of them as the Grub menu just froze every time then as time ran out it defaulted to Zorin which was top of the menu. So, I've been fiddling and fiddling and naturally stuffed everything up. Now I do actually get a grub menu but only Zorin is listed. Much to my supreme embarrassment I think (actually am pretty sure!) the reason everything locked up in the Grub menu is because of my new elcheapo keyboard and mouse that run from a cable. In desperation I swapped these for another keyboard and mouse that are USB driven and to my amazement I can now navigate in Grub. As I said I have royally stuffed things up trying to get the menu to work so I will reformat my SSD and start again loading Zorin and Ubuntu. I prefer to let Zorin and Ubuntu set up the Grub menu rather than me trying to undo my stuffups particularly as I did actually get them both to show in the Grub menu in the past. Whew, my head hurts but I can see a light at the end of the tunnel now. Cheers John

 

[Brickwizard]

I've learned in another forums that imgur geoblocks some countries for IDK

I am on a private forum [all ex-members of a defunct holiday forum] some of the members used to use imgur, but although all in the UK we started having the same problem, we use to have a one click link on the post template so had it removed