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Multiboot Windows / Solaris

WHHL Posted messages 1 Status Member -  
mamiemando Posted messages 33228 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   -

Hello,

I have a Windows 11 PC and I would like to install Solaris alongside it in a dual-boot setup without erasing Windows.

Can you help me?

Thank you in advance for your reply.

3 answers

  1.
    bazfile Posted messages 58492 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   20 268
     

    Hello @WHHL StatusMember.

    Dual-boot causes quite a few problems, the best option is to install a virtual machine like VirtualBox and install Solaris on it.

    bazfile
    Moderator/Security Contributor.
    A hello, a reply, a thank you are always nice.

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  2. mamiemando Posted messages 33228 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   7 940
     

    Hello,

    Before diving into this, ask yourself if you really want to install Solaris (I don't think it's widely used these days) and if you really want to do a dual boot (if it's just for testing, a virtual machine would probably suffice). Be careful to choose the right architecture (amd64/x86 for a regular PC, not sparc).

    The steps are likely similar to those for installing a Linux system:

    1. If your current partitions cover your entire hard drive, resize the Windows partitions to create enough free space to accommodate the system you want to install (in this case, Solaris).
    2. Backup all the important data onto another drive (to avoid regrets in case of mishandling).
    3. Download an installer and put it on a USB stick, prepared for example with rufus.
    4. Restart from the prepared USB stick and begin the installation.
    5. Perform a manual partitioning to ensure that the partitions for the new system do not overwrite the existing partitions. Follow a tutorial, for example, this one.

    Regarding the previous messages.

    #1: Aside from the fact that very old computers have hard drives that use an MBR partitioning scheme (which requires dealing with extended partitions as soon as more than 4 partitions are needed), there aren’t really any constraints. It is generally possible to switch to GPT model.

    #2:

    1. According to this page and this page, there seem to be x86 and amd64 builds for Solaris, so yes, it’s doable.
    2. According to this page, Solaris 11 (is the only version of Solaris that) supports EFI.
      • GRUB seems to support Solaris (see this page). When GRUB starts, since no OS is loaded at this stage, it doesn’t matter what operating systems are installed. GRUB has supported EFI for several years.
      • It also seems possible to use rEFInd (see this page), but be careful rEFInd requires an EFI partition (see this page).
    3. An update does not affect the "dual boot". However, every time a new kernel is installed, you are simply supposed to update the boot menu configuration (boot loader). For example, with GRUB, you would run: 
      sudo update-grub

      In a properly maintained Linux distribution, this command is implicitly executed when a new kernel (linux-image-...) is installed.

    4. Why could the partition format be an issue? An operating system just needs to know how to read its own necessary partitions for booting. For a Unix system, this is specified by the boot loader. Other partitions do not need to be mounted and therefore should not block the booting of a system that doesn’t know how to read them.

    Good luck.

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  3. jeannets Posted messages 28397 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   Ambassadeur 6 603
     

    Hello,

    I'm not sure if this is feasible:

    1° Does Solaris work on PC (Windows 11) Intel or AMD..??

    2° Is Dual Boot, like GRUB or BCD, supported with UEFI..?

    3° Solaris has very frequent updates, 5 to 7 times a year... and requires rebuilding the dual boot each time...?

    4° Can the disk formatting system coexist... Share..?

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