Tag: Linux

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Running Two Manjaro Installations Side by Side 🚀

Introduction

Are you interested in testing different setups or simply exploring the power of Manjaro without affecting your main system? In this post, I’ll show you step-by-step how to install two Manjaro systems on one computer and configure GRUB to let you choose which one to boot into. Let’s get started! 😊

1. Preparation 🛠️

  • Backups: Always back up your important data before partitioning your drive. 💾
  • Live USB: Create a live USB with the Manjaro ISO.
  • Space: Ensure your drive has enough unallocated space or plan to resize existing partitions.

2. Partitioning Your Disk 🗂️

For two installations, you need to create separate partitions. Here’s what you can do:

  • Root Partitions: Create two separate root partitions (one for each installation).
  • EFI Partition: If your system uses UEFI, you can share a single EFI partition between both installations.
  • Swap (Optional): You can use a common swap partition or create individual swap partitions.

Tip: Use tools like GParted (available on the Manjaro live environment) to manage your partitions easily.

3. Installing the First Manjaro System 💻

  1. Boot from your live USB.
  2. Start the installer and select your desired partitions, ensuring that you choose the correct partition for the root directory.
  3. Install the bootloader (GRUB) on the primary drive (usually /dev/sda or your respective device).
  4. Complete the installation and reboot to verify that it boots correctly.

4. Installing the Second Manjaro System 💻

  1. Boot again from the live USB for the second installation.
  2. Choose the second root partition you prepared.
  3. Important: When prompted for the bootloader installation, you have two options:
    • Option A: Install GRUB to the EFI partition without overwriting the existing GRUB installation.
    • Option B: Skip the bootloader installation and configure it manually later on.
  4. Complete the installation and reboot.

5. Configuring GRUB to Detect Both Installations 🔧

After both installations are complete, you may need to update GRUB so that it recognizes both systems:

  1. Boot into your primary Manjaro installation.
  2. Open a terminal and run:
sudo update-grub
# or, if that command isn’t available:
sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

GRUB should now detect both Manjaro installations and list them in the boot menu. If not, double-check your partition setup and bootloader configuration.

6. Final Thoughts 💡

Running two Manjaro installations in parallel is a great way to experiment with different setups or keep your work and testing environments separate. It also makes sense if you want to reinitialize your drivers or reinstall Manjaro from scratch while preserving your old data on a separate installation. Just remember to handle partitions carefully and always back up your data. Enjoy exploring Manjaro! 🚀

Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions or run into any issues. Happy dual-booting! 😃

Read the full AI conversation about this guide here.

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🚀 How to Update GRUB and Regenerate Initramfs from a Manjaro Live USB System 🐧

Sometimes things break—it’s Linux life! 💻 Maybe your Manjaro installation isn’t booting correctly after an update or some system tweaks. Don’t panic! You can easily fix boot-related issues using your Manjaro Live USB stick.

Here’s how you can update your GRUB bootloader and regenerate your initramfs directly from a Manjaro Live USB. Let’s dive in! 🌊

🔧 Step 1: Boot into the Manjaro Live USB & Mount your System

Boot your computer with a Manjaro USB stick. Open a terminal and identify your root partition using:

sudo fdisk -l

Let’s say your root partition is /dev/sda2, then mount it:

sudo mount /dev/sda2 /mnt

If you have separate boot or EFI partitions, mount them too:

  • For a separate /boot partition:
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot
  • For an EFI partition:
sudo mount /dev/sdaX /mnt/boot/efi

(Replace /dev/sdaX with your actual EFI partition.)

🛠️ Step 2: Enter your Installed System with manjaro-chroot

Manjaro makes this super easy:

sudo manjaro-chroot /mnt

Now you’re working inside your actual system environment! 🚪

⚙️ Step 3: Update GRUB Bootloader

Run these commands based on your boot type:

  • For BIOS/Legacy boot:
grub-install /dev/sda
update-grub
  • For EFI boot:
grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot/efi --bootloader-id=manjaro --recheck
update-grub

🔄 Step 4: Regenerate your Initramfs

Now regenerate initramfs images:

mkinitcpio -P

🎉 Step 5: Finish & Restart!

Exit the chroot environment:

exit

Unmount your partitions:

sudo umount -R /mnt

And reboot your system:

sudo reboot

That’s it! 🎯 Your Manjaro system should now boot up smoothly.

🔗 Useful Resources:

👉 Check out my original conversation with ChatGPT here for more details.

Happy Linux adventures! 🐧✨

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Business Client Software Solutions

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I offer Business Computer Client Software Solutions for organizations like companies, NGO‘s and clubs. This means that I setup and maintain the software like applications and operating systems and take care on the security and maintenance.

In the following a Business Computer Client is to be meant as a computing device which an employee uses to work for an organizations. This includes desktop computers, laptops, tablets and mobile phones.

The Business Computer Clients Software Solutions which I offer are a good supplement to my Business Server Software Solutions. Together they are the perfect composition for organizations which need safe, secure and autonomous data management solutions.

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Business Server Software Solutions

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My Open Source tool Server Manager which is based on Ansible allows me to setup and maintain business servers on a short amount of time.

In the following service description business server is to be meant as a server which provides all of the services which an organization needs. This includes businesses, non-governmental organizations, political organizations, clubs, educational facilities, etc.

Continue reading “Business Server Software Solutions”