Re: dual boot installation with UEFI

[RVP <rvp%SDF.ORG@localhost>]

On Sat, 26 Sep 2026, Jeff wrote:

> Date: Sat, 26 Sep 2026 20:32:39 +0200 (CEST)
> From: Jeff <pacavegano%tutamail.com@localhost>
> To: Netbsd Users <netbsd-users%netbsd.org@localhost>
> Subject: Re: dual boot installation with UEFI
>
> Okay, I just tried again, and failed the same way.  I will try to include as much detail about what I did as possible, so that hopefully you all can point out my mistakes!

sysinst(8) isn't really setup for this use-case (ie. multi-boot), but, there
are workarounds.

The first thing you should do is to make a backup of `EFI/boot' because sysinst
*will* unconditionally overwrite any existing BOOT*.EFI files with NetBSD's
own bootloaders:

mv /some/path/EFI/Boot /some/path/EFI/Boot.bak


> 6) Select "a: Use existing GPT partitions".

Correct. (And, if a new install, just create a `/' and a swap partitions there)

> 7) This was how the GPT partitions were shown before I changed anything:
>      Start (MB)     End (MB)    Size (MB)  FS type Flag Filesystem
> a:          1           1024         1024 MSDOS         NO NAME

Select this entry (press ENTER), then get rid of that `NO NAME' label (make the
field blank). Then, change the mount point to `-' (do not mount).

> I added two partitions:
> f:         631810       648191           16382 swap
> g:       648193        976761       328569 FFSv2 IN /
>
> When adding g, I said "Yes" for install, newfs and mount, and added the mount point /.

Correct. Now sysinst(8) should be able to carry on. After install, you can
move `EFi/Boot' -> `EFI/NetBSD' as mlelstv@ said and move the `boot.cfg' over
from `/', and put back the Linux EFI bootloaders.

You can easily use GRUB to boot NetBSD--either by chainloading NetBSD's bootloader,
or by booting the kernel directly.

-RVP