I'm planning to install a new Linux distribution on SSD 1, but I'm worried that it will wipe the EFI boot partition used by my other Linux distro on SSD 2. I've heard that I can go ahead and install the new distro, then use a tool like Boot Repair to fix any booting issues with the old distro afterward. The new distro will be using the Limine bootloader. Is this really the best approach to take? Thanks for any tips!
3 Answers
You don't have to wipe the EFI partition if you don't want to. Just ensure you don't choose to delete it during the installation of the new distro. If you find you need to restore access later, using a chroot shell from the working installation is usually sufficient, eliminating the need for extra tools. Alternatively, you could back up the EFI files before changing any setups, so you can copy them back if necessary. If you plan to tinker with bootloaders, consider sticking with one to simplify things.
If you want to wipe a disk, gdisk has a pretty straightforward method. Just access the 'x' expert menu and use the 'z' option to wipe it clean. Just be careful with that; it's irreversible! But it might not be relevant to your situation right now.
I always keep backups of my EFI partitions, just to play it safe! For instance, I have separate EFI partitions for each of my Linux installs: one on SSD 1 for Linux #1 and another on SSD 2 for Linux #2. This way, they don't interfere with each other. It makes things a lot easier in the long run!
That's a great approach! I'm learning that having dedicated EFI partitions for each install is the way to go. I'll definitely follow your example.
Thanks for the tip! I'm mostly focused on keeping my current EFI setup safe, but I'll keep that in mind for future reference.