Hey everyone! I'm trying to keep my Linux installation a bit of a secret as I dual boot with Windows. I've tried CachyOS twice this year but ended up removing it both times due to wrong distro choices and issues with the GRUB menu. Honestly, the CachyOS GRUB theme screams 'I use Arch' and I'd rather not have anyone know about my Linux setup. My question is: can I avoid using a bootloader like GRUB or switch to systemd-boot during installation? My goal is to have Windows boot by default and only access Linux using the boot manager key, similar to standard Arch installations. Do I need to set up a different bootloader for this? For context, I'm using a Dell PC. Thanks!
5 Answers
You definitely can make the bootloader hidden unless you hit a key. Another useful option is to set your system to boot from USB first, which lets you use a USB drive for your bootloader. Just keep your Linux on that USB drive and you can still access your files on the hard drive when you boot from it. That way, your system can remain more private!
If you're looking for a way to hide GRUB, there are ways to set the screen timeout to 0 seconds so it won’t show unless you press a specific key. You should also check out the Arch Wiki for detailed info on both GRUB and systemd-boot – it's a great resource!
To make GRUB less obtrusive, try adding these lines in your GRUB config:
GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden
GRUB_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY=true
Then, if you want to access it, just hit ESC or SHIFT right after your Dell logo appears!
Consider installing GRUB on a USB drive. This way, you can just take the USB with you, and only boot into Linux when you want to. When you’re not using the USB, it'll be like Linux isn’t even there!
If you have two drives, you could install GRUB on the second drive and set Windows as the default boot option. To boot into Linux, you would need to select it from the boot menu. Alternatively, you could set Windows as the default option in GRUB and reduce the boot time to make it more discreet. Just remember to configure GRUB properly if you go this route!
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