I'm trying to set up my system so that I can use a USB stick with GRUB installed to switch between Windows and a Linux distro (Bazzite) that's on a separate SSD. The goal is to have my BIOS boot into Windows by default when the USB isn't plugged in, and then boot into Linux through the USB when it is. However, I've struggled to find any guides on how to specifically install GRUB on a USB to boot an OS located on another drive. Most tutorials only focus on making a Live Linux USB. Can anyone offer some guidance on how to achieve this?
4 Answers
You can indeed install GRUB on any device, including USBs. Instead of following a tutorial, check out the `man grub-install` documentation for detailed instructions. Keep in mind the tougher part will be getting your BIOS to recognize the USB for booting GRUB and fallback to Windows when it's not connected. It might be more complex than you'd expect, especially if you're already having hurdles with the USB GRUB installation.
I've thought about this too! Having each OS on its own drive with their respective boot loaders can work well. A possible approach would be to install a Live Debian or Ubuntu on the USB, use its OS prober to detect other bootable drives, and then tweak its configs to boot the desired OS. It might sound complicated, but it could definitely simplify things for you when selecting which OS to use.
While your approach is creative, I suggest a simpler method. Just install GRUB on your main Linux SSD and set it up to let you select which OS to boot. This way, you can avoid the hassle of plugging and unplugging the USB each time you boot. It would streamline the process with just a click or key press to choose your OS, which is likely a lot easier.
I appreciate the suggestion! But I really like the idea of having a physical switch for ease of use.
To boot an OS from another drive using GRUB, you'll need to modify the configuration file on the USB to point to the OS image you want to boot. The process isn't too straightforward, as many tutorials skip explaining how to set it up if your OS is on a different drive. However, once you identify the correct path, you should be able to configure it. It might take some trial and error, though!
Yeah, that's where I'm struggling too. The guides I've found aren't clear on how these config files work for a bootable OS on a separate drive.
Wouldn't simply setting my BIOS boot order to prioritize USB over Windows handle the switching you're talking about?