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Merge pull request #3 from ArchDevs/dual-boot-guide
Dual boot guide
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# Dual Boot Guide: Windows + AxOS
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How to do a full **dual boot installation** with **Windows 11** and **AxOS** (Windows 10 should work as well).
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> **System Requirements**: [Check here](https://www.axos-project.com/docs/get-started/installation/#required)
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> Minimum disk space: **10 GB** (but **50 GB or more is strongly recommended** for a smoother experience)
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## Step 0: Before You Begin
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> I will **skip the steps** for flashing AxOS to a USB. Please make sure you’ve already created a **bootable USB**.
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## Step 1: Create Free Space on Your Disk (Windows)
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We need to shrink an existing partition to make room for AxOS.
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### Instructions:
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1. Press `Win + X` → choose **Disk Management**
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*or*
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Press `Win + R`, type `diskmgmt.msc`, and hit Enter.
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2. In the Disk Management window:
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* Right-click on a partition with enough free space (e.g. your D: drive)
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* Click **"Shrink Volume"**
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* Enter how much you want to shrink (in MB). For example, `50000` for 50 GB
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* Click **"Shrink"**
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This will create **unallocated space** which we’ll use to install AxOS.
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## Step 2: Boot into AxOS from USB
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1. Reboot your computer
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2. Enter your **BIOS/UEFI menu**
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3. Select your **bootable USB** device
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4. Boot to AxOS
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## Step 3: Verify Free Space in AxOS
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Once inside the live AxOS, open the terminal (`Win + Enter`) and run:
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```bash
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sudo parted -l
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```
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This will list all available disks and their partitions.
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Look for something like:
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```
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Unallocated space: 50GB
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```
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Or run:
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```bash
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sudo parted -l | grep "Unallocated"
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```
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> **Note:** Take note of your disk’s name — it could be something like:
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>
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> * `/dev/sda`
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> * `/dev/nvme0n1`
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>
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> We’ll use that name in the next step.
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## Step 4: Create Partitions with `gdisk`
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We’ll now use `gdisk` to manually create two partitions:
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* One for the **EFI System** (`/boot/efi`)
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* One for the **Linux Root** (`/`)
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Replace `yourdiskname` below with your actual disk name (e.g. `/dev/sda` or `/dev/nvme0n1`).
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```bash
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sudo gdisk /dev/yourdiskname
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```
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### Inside `gdisk`:
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1. Press `n` to create a **new partition**
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2. Press `Enter` to accept default partition number
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3. Press `Enter` to accept default first sector
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4. Type `+512M` → this creates a 512MB partition
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5. Type `EF00` → this sets it as an **EFI System** partition
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EFI partition done!
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### Create the Root Partition (`/`):
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1. Press `n` again
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2. Press `Enter` for all prompts (partition number, first/last sector, partition type)
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3. Type `w` and press `Enter` to **write changes**
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> Confirm with `y` if asked.
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We’ve now created two partitions.
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> ⚠️ The **partition names** depend on your disk:
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>
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> * If your disk is `/dev/sda`, partitions will be `/dev/sda1`, `/dev/sda2`, etc.
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> * If your disk is `/dev/nvme0n1`, partitions will be `/dev/nvme0n1p1`, `/dev/nvme0n1p2`, etc.
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> *(Note the **"p"** before the number of partition)*
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## Step 5: Mount the Partitions
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### Mount the Root Partition (Linux filesystem):
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```bash
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sudo mount /dev/nvme0n1p2 /mnt
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```
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### Create and Mount EFI Directory:
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```bash
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sudo mkdir -p /mnt/boot/efi
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sudo mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /mnt/boot/efi
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```
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> **Adjust disk and partition names and numbers as needed.**
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Now we’re ready to launch the installer.
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## Step 6: Launch the AxOS Installer
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1. Open the **AxOS Install** application from the menu.
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2. Proceed through the installation.
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3. When you get to **"Installation disk and partitioning"**, choose **Manual Partitioning**.
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### Configure the Mount Points:
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* For the **EFI partition**:
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* Set **FAT32** format
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* Set mount point to `/boot/efi`
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* For the **Linux root partition**:
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* Set **ext4** format
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* Set mount point to `/`
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4. Continue through the installer
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5. Once installation finishes, reboot
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> **Adjust disk and partition names and numbers as needed.**
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## Step 8: Configure GRUB to Detect Windows
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After rebooting into AxOS:
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### 1. Open a terminal and edit the GRUB config:
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```bash
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sudo nano /etc/default/grub
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```
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### 2. Find this line:
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```bash
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GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER
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```
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Change it to:
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```bash
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GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false
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```
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> **Save and Exit Nano**:
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>
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> * Press `Ctrl + O` (to save)
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> * Press `Enter` (to confirm filename)
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> * Press `Ctrl + X` (to exit)
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### 3. Detect Windows:
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```bash
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sudo os-prober
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```
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If it returns your Windows installation, proceed.
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## Step 9: Generate GRUB Config
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Choose the appropriate command depending on your system:
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### BIOS Systems:
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```bash
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sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
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```
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### UEFI Systems:
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```bash
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sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/efi/EFI/grub/grub.cfg
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```
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> ⚠️ If you are not sure what to choost stick to BIOS System.
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## Final Step: Reboot
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Now reboot your system:
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```bash
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sudo reboot now
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```
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You should now see the **GRUB boot menu**, with both **AxOS** and **Windows** listed.
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---
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## Done

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