Manjaro #1: Dual-boot Windows 10 / ArchLinux
How to install an ArchLinux distribution alongside a pre-installed Windows 10 system (or any Linux distribution!)
See also:
- Manjaro #2: system and drivers
- Manjaro #3: how to customize XFCE desktop
Step 1: Windows
Shrink one of your partitions to create diskspace for Linux (100 Gb). Use the “Disk Management” tool on Windows, right click on the partition which you want to shrink, and choose “Shrink Volume”. Type a number how much disk space you want to free up, in Mb (ie 100 000 Mb).
Download the ISO of the Linux distro you want to install. I chose Manjaro, in order to get an easy to use Archlinux system. Make sure the ISO contains Gparted, so you can modify your partitions in the USB live session.
Make a bootable USB with the Linux distro you downloaded. On windows you may use Rufus or similar tools. On Linux use the ‘dd’ command line, carefully.
dd if=/path/to/your/isofile of=/your/usb/disk
Prepare Windows to enter BIOS at next reboot: find the “Advance Startup Options” menu in Windows Settings, and select to reboot on BIOS and change UEFI settings. According to your PC, you may also press a function key at startup.
Enter the BIOS : on the “Security” tab, deactivate the Secure Boot option. On the boot options the USB key name should appear. Select to boot from USB in order to launch the Linux live session.
Step 2: Installing Linux
Paritions : once booted on the live distro, run Gparted (Manjaro live root password: manjaro) to make your partitions using the diskspace created on step 1.
These steps are not ‘Arch’ specific, use it to install any Linux distribution!
- A new Ext4 Linux partition: 96 Gb
- A Linux-Swap partition: 4 Gb
If you are UEFI, Windows already created an EFI boot partition, so your all set and ready to go. Shut down the pc and now run the Arch-Anywhere USB.
Installation: when the option appears on where to install, choose manual partitioning. Choose your new Ext4 for / (root/home) and linux-swap for swap. Format the Ext4 partition. You can format swap if no other Linux distro is installed. For UEFI select the already made EFI partition (usually the first listed, it should be a 100Mb fat32 partition) and the mount point will be /boot/efi.
DO NOT FORMAT the EFI partition or your other OS’s will not boot.
Finish the installation. On the next reboot, you’ll be greeted by GRUB. This screen will allow you to choose between starting Linux or Windows.
