One of four bootable partitions won’t boot any more

[dmt]

@HaseIgel

During the installation of the first Manjaro, the (GUI) installer saw that – somewhere on the HD, and not on the partition it was told to install xfce to – there was an EFI section already in use for MacOS, and said, “Fine, let’s write the Manjaro boot files into there, so the user will have a choice: MacOS or me.“

The EFI partition is of course a separate partition, it’s meant for the bootloader(s).

@HaseIgel

Then the second installer came along, the one for KDE, and saw, “Well, somebody has been here before and has done part of my job: there are the boot files for Manjaro that I was going to write. Let’s leave it like that.“

AFAIK it will have overwritten them.

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On a normal computer (ie, not a mac) you’d just ensure os-prober is installed and enabled then update grub. Not sure if it being a mac will make a difference.

When you select “EFI boot” does it show the grub menu?

If so then click this

From KDE, make sure os-prober is installed

sudo pacman -S os-prober

Make sure it’s enabled

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

# make sure the line below is uncommented
GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false

# Ctrl + S to save
# Ctrl + X to exit

Update grub

sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Reboot to test

Alternatively you can try reinstalling grub under a different name, using a chroot, as already suggested by @soundofthunder and @Teo.

[HaseIgel]

@dmt

When you select “EFI boot” does it show the grub menu?

No, it doesn’t. It boots right into KDE.

[dmt]

It might just be hidden. Have you tried alternatively spamming Esc and Shift (I can never remember which one is for UEFI), just after selecting “EFI boot”?

Otherwise you should try what @soundofthunder and @Teo said.

@soundofthunder

A possible resolution is to boot with the XFCE edition USB again and reinstall Grub manually from a chroot environment, but this time changing the --bootloader-id=Manjaro parameter to something like --bootloader-id=ManjaroXFCE.

To be clear, this is only an example:

grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=esp --bootloader-id=ManjaroXFCE

@Teo

reinstall the XFCE grub with a distinctive name as shown above. Here is the relevant wiki entry by the way

GRUB/Restore the GRUB Bootloader - Manjaro

[HaseIgel]

At this stage: thank you all for your endeavours to help me!

But:
After deliberation, I have come to the conclusion that it is not worth insisting on solving this particular problem physically. I don’t need to work with that „lost“ xfce instance, so there’s no real urgency to recover it. You helped me understand what went wrong during the processes of installation, and that is the important thing.

In particular, I know that I needn’t be afraid that at some moment the computer will think it over and again offer to boot xfce only instead of KDE, and that I would be unable to boot into the latter. That would be/have been annoying. That’s why I wanted to know a way out of this eventuality. But that risk can now be ruled out, it appears.

So I’d prefer to stick to theory and ask the next logical question:

Was there maybe a way of preventing this mishap, during installation? Maybe carrying out a CLI install, with more detailed commands?

[HaseIgel]

Nevertheless, I am not pretending that I would have been able to do that, in the same way that it would take me quite some time to carry out your numerous instances of advice concerning bootloader, chroot etc. I am still a beginner and am only starting to learn about the CLI.

[HaseIgel]

And let me pursue with two more theoretical questions:

If, alongside the original MacOS, I had installed Manjaro xfce and, e. g., Ubuntu – instead of Manjaro xfce and Manjaro KDE – would that have made a difference? Would I then probably have the choice of booting into any of the three?

And:
If now I was to delete xfce and install another OS on that particular partition – Mint, Ubuntu, or another Arch-based distro, but not Manjaro – would that eventually give me that threefold choice?

Or is it never a good idea, anyway, to have two or three OSs on one computer, albeit for experiments?

[BG405]

As far as I see it, installing another distro (which doesn’t simply identify itself as “Manjaro”) should provide a unique boot entry.

Worth noting though that Ubuntu’s GRUB likely won’t be able to boot Manjaro, whereas it should be OK the other way round.

[HaseIgel]

@dmt

It might just be hidden. Have you tried alternatively spamming Esc and Shift (I can never remember which one is for UEFI), just after selecting “EFI boot”?

Oh, I’ll try that and let you know.

[HaseIgel]

esc aborts the boot process.

shift has no effect.

[dmt]

Ok, so assuming you did that at the correct time, and there isn’t another method for Macs - it looks like grub isn’t being chain-loaded.

However if you’re not chain-loading grub then what’s being booted? AFAIK the entry in the ESP is grub.

Also this seems to state it should work roughly as normal, and that “EFI boot” is in fact grub.

Mac - ArchWiki

I’d try my instructions above first, it shouldn’t hurt.

If that doesn’t work I’d try what @soundofthunder and @Teo suggested. I’ve detailed how below.

Reinstall grub step by step

If you do decide to have a go, it’s actually quite easy and the instructions are in the link @Teo posted but here’s a quick step by step

1. Boot a live USB

2. Open a terminal

3. Follow the instructions for chrooting (in the link), if you use ext4 it’s as simple as manjaro-chroot -a

4. Run the command to reinstall grub grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot/efi --bootloader-id=manjaroXFCE --recheck --removable

5. Update grub grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

6. Exit the chroot using exit

7. Reboot

[HaseIgel]

OK. Allow me time to study this and try to understand what I would be doing there.

I understand: it would add another branch to the tree represented in #8? A branch with a distinctive name, so that Manjaro xfce would be identified as existing alongside KDE during the boot process, and be presented to the user as a distinctive boot option?

[Aragorn]

@HaseIgel

I understand: it would add another branch to the tree represented in #8? A branch with a distinctive name, so that Manjaro xfce would be identified as existing alongside KDE during the boot process, and be presented to the user as a distinctive boot option?

Yes, that is correct.

[dmt]

@HaseIgel

it would add another branch to the tree represented in #8? A branch with a distinctive name, so that Manjaro xfce would be identified as existing alongside KDE during the boot process, and be presented to the user as a distinctive boot option?

Yes, the method proposed by @soundofthunder and @Teo would do that, though I’m not sure what it would show up as in the boot menu.

The method I proposed further up would add the other install to the grub menu, so you should be offered a choice after selecting “EFI boot”.

[HaseIgel]

Thanks a lot, really, to all of you.

As I said, allow me time for some in-depth reading before I decide to give it a try. I want to know what I’m about to do before I start.

Peter

[soundofthunder]

@HaseIgel

Was there maybe a way of preventing this mishap

Sure. Install only one Manjaro edition. Then it simply becomes a choice of which edition you need/prefer.

The easiest way for you to “start over” is likely to boot the Manjaro ISO/USB of your choice (let’s say, KDE) and open GParted from the Live environment’s menu – delete both Manjaro partitions (/ from both XFCE and KDE) – Reboot and boot the ISO/USB again – Install your preferred Manjaro edition.

You have for all intents and purposes done this twice already, with success (despite the XFCE booting issue). I see no reason why choosing only one instance of Manjaro (instead of two) will be any problem for you.

@HaseIgel

If, alongside the original MacOS, I had installed Manjaro xfce and, e. g., Ubuntu – instead of Manjaro xfce and Manjaro KDE – would that have made a difference? Would I then probably have the choice of booting into any of the three?

@HaseIgel

If now I was to delete xfce and install another OS on that particular partition – Mint, Ubuntu, or another Arch-based distro, but not Manjaro – would that eventually give me that threefold choice?

Every Linux distribution has it’s own idiosyncrasies; it’s own learning curve. I can make no guarantees that you wouldn’t have encountered issues with what you suggest; albeit, not the same issues.

@HaseIgel

Or is it never a good idea, anyway, to have two or three OSs on one computer, albeit for experiments?

This is generally referred to as multi-booting.

Multi-booting has become fairly popular over the years, especially with Linux and Windows. I have personally done this myself for the better part of twenty years, currently with Debian, Manjaro, MacOS, FreeBSD and Windows.

The ongoing success of my multi-boot scenario is mainly attributed to having each OS on it’s own disk (not partition).

Regardless of the popularity of multi-booting one important fact should always be remembered – no OS is designed with multi-booting in mind – there is always the potential for something to not go as planned (as you already found).

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I wrote a general guide for Linux/Windows that may be of interest if you are curious enough:

[multi-boot] Manjaro and Windows (Separate Disks)

Multi-boot Manjaro and Windows …on Separate Disks Firstly, this guide is intended for multi-booting with each OS on a separate disk. If you have a laptop with only one disk, or If you wish to install an OS on it’s own partition on the same disk, this guide is not for you (but read on regardless, if interested). Secondly, this guide assumes each OS will be installed using UEFI and not UEFI’s CSM or Legacy mode. This guide does not support the traditional BIOS boot method. Additionally, all di…

Also another guide about Ventoy; an alternative method to boot several ISO’s from USB:

[HowTo] Create a Ventoy USB to launch Manjaro (and other) ISO's

Ventoy A New Bootable USB Solution Boot with a Ventoy USB and ISO files are automatically listed in the Ventoy menu. Any ISO present can then be launched and booted directly. The obvious advantage here is that instead of constantly writing a Manjaro Installer ISO to a new USB any time you might need it, every ISO you desire can be stored on the Ventoy USB and launched the same way. A 32GB capacity USB would allow ample space to store several ISOs of your choice; an 8GB capacity USB might …

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I would be remiss if I didn’t also address your obvious level of Linux knowledge, generally. It may be that a rolling release distribution such as Manjaro is not for you.

[Consideration] Is Manjaro the right distribution for you?

Manjaro is NOT suitable for everyone No, it’s not. And we — as the helpful community members of this forum — regularly have to explain this to the newcomers. Or at least, if we get the chance, because it is not exactly unheard of that a vocal newbie throws it out there themselves in a fit of frustration — if not arrogance or entitlement, because there’s a lot of that going round as well. So why is Manjaro not a distribution for everyone? 1. Manjaro is a rolling-release distribution This mea…

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It’s possible that you might be more comfortable with another point release distribution such as Debian, for example. Only you can decide.

[HaseIgel]

I can only say: thanks again for being engaged so much in advising me and taking me by the hand!
So let me, in turn, make a parenthesis and add a few words, in order to explain what I have done and intend to do, and why:

My first computer was a Macintosh. There had been only one reason: for my job, I wanted to have a keyboard layout that could produce German (ä ö ü ß), English (“), French (ç Ç œ Œ ê ë é è ) and Spanish (ñ ¡ ¿) graphemes without effort, on one layout, without having to switch anything or do acrobatic combinations of four keys. Otherwise I would have bought no computer, but stuck to my typewriter.

Nobody in any shop could, at the time, assure me that the product they were selling would fulfil my expectations – nobody, and no Mac vendor either. Only one friend, a Mac user, showed me: “Look, it’s easy, everything you want is there!“, and thus convinced me.

So I worked with various Macs in the course of time and had no regrets. They worked fine, and accidents were very rare.

Two years ago, nevertheless, I began to be interested in an alternative because I didn’t appreciate Apple’s ways any longer of designing their products more and more in a way to become obsolete after – to my mind – a not-so-reasonable period of time, thus obliging you with gentle force to return to their shop and again leave a thousand bucks or two, and to throw away your still good-looking „old“ computer …

I had only a very vague idea that there was something like a parallel world called “Linux“, and started researching.

My conditions hadn’t changed: the keyboard layout!

After a couple of months of trials I found out that at least all Arch-based distros could be configured to have the original Macintosh keyboard layout. Others cannot (Ubuntu & Co., Mint, Fedora). There is always something missing, even if the layout claims to be „Macintosh“.

I got stuck with Manjaro KDE and have two computers that I work with with only that OS installed, and I am, so far, absolutely satisfied, and I’m fine, too, with the rolling-release type.

The computer that is the topic of this thread is my wife’s iMac. I thought it was time to leave MacOS behind on that one, too. So I thought I’d install two variants of Manjaro on that one for her to see for herself if there was one she liked better.

That’s all. So, in the long run, this HD will be wiped, too, and only one Manjaro version will be installed – from scratch.

I only wanted to know why the first Manjaro, xfce, had disappeared with the installation of the second. Now, with your help, I know. And since your help is so overwhelming, I feel I simply must have a try at solving the problem, even if it is of no real importance. The Linux knowledge I am acquiring at it won’t do me harm.

Peter

[HaseIgel]

Ok, I started (with dmt’s suggestion of #21):
os-prober was already installed.

Now, the following recommended command is
sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Now exactly this command turns out about a page and a half of results, but no
GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false

Shall I post the results, or a portion of them? Or must the command be modified?

[dmt]

It would be easier to post the output from this:

cat /etc/default/grub

[HaseIgel]

Ok. The return is as long as before, but towards the bottom there is:

# Uncomment this option to enable os-prober execution in the grub-mkconfig command
GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false

[dmt]

Sorry I was busy and away from the computer.

Yes both commands show the contents of the file, the first one is an editor, the second just outputs the contents to the teminal.

It seems to be enabled, so try sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg and hopefully it will add the other install to the menu.