To Dual Boot or Not to
To Dual Boot or Not to
First, I am familiar with Windows OS only. I do casual programming (use mainly open-source projects which are mostly Linux base). My OS is Win11 pro, 32GB RAM, 1.5TB SSD storage (on 2 .M2 sticks). I use docker (via Docker Desktop), so VM is what I am playing with. Getting into very unfamiliar territories (of using VM) and now seriously thinking about Dual Boot. Case for Dual Boot: In the main (open source) project I am working on, there are a couple of lines of commands in the docker-compose.yml files: volumes: - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro - /etc/timezone:/etc/timezone:ro My host is Windows. There is no such thing as "etc" directory in Windows that has the time, timezone, date, … libraries/info. This is exclusively for Linux (or maybe Mac OS, which I don’t give a damn). As a result, while the docker containers can run, but because it fails to get the time and timezone info from the above commands, the app defaults into GMT. That is a major eye-sore/problem. And I am sure I will run into more Linux exclusive problems. AKA, Docker Desktop, WSL2, etc probably not going to solve my problems. So, unless there is a way to extract the time/timezone info from Win OS, (Does anyone know how?), the only way to move forward is to program in default native Linux environment – aka Dual Boot. Also, from Googling, when setting up Dual Boot, it seems the most “safer” way to move forward setting up the dual boot is to use 2 completely separated storage media - one for Win OS and another one for Linux OS (which in my case use 2 .M2 storage sticks, one for each OS) instead of partitioning a single media. Any comments advise from the forum?
I verified the dual boot setup on two distinct physical drives—no issues encountered with either Windows or Linux.
If using two storage drives works, I’d choose it every time. Running two operating systems from separate drives is always trickier in practice. While possible, it’s far more complicated than starting each OS on its own drive. Plus, you gain extra backup if one drive fails or gets damaged. In my view, a virtual machine is also easier to manage than setting up dual-boot partitions.
keep all drives fully isolated, preferably separate bootloaders as well. Windows 10 tends to brick itself during updates that require a grub2 restart, and I don’t think Linux will be much better. If you prefer not to change the BIOS settings manually, the best approach I’ve seen is to store your Linux bootloader on a USB stick and set your BIOS to start from USB before launching Windows. - USB not connected: Windows boots normally - USB connected: Linux boots although I’m sure someone else has discovered a cleaner method. EDIT: two points: - Windows and Linux (by default) handle time storage differently in the BIOS, so you’ll need to adjust the Linux side to avoid timezone changes each time you switch. - Turn off Fast Boot on Windows, otherwise reboots might cause confusion.
I prefer running VMs in one system at a time. Windows tends to favor bootloaders, which can be frustrating. If you have extra resources, you can try GPU passthrough for a more native experience. I usually use an integrated GPU for the host and a dedicated GPU for the guest. WSL offers some flexibility, but a fully native Linux setup would simplify things.
For gaming purposes, use Windows with WSL2 or a Linux VM. For other tasks, Linux with a Windows virtual machine works well. Windows has a lot of bootloader restrictions when dual booting, which can be an issue with Windows 11 and its Secure Boot settings.
I focus mainly on programming, not gaming. This new Windows laptop is intended for that use, so a Linux environment with a Windows VM isn't suitable. Manikyath's tip about plugging in an USB drive and booting Linux is another common suggestion I've seen online. It seems like many people are discussing bootloader issues in Windows, which appears to be a significant concern requiring further research.
I rarely recall dual booting any issues. Most of my systems are based on Linux. A few in the house require dual boot for gaming, using Linux Mint and Windows 11 without problems. Secure boot is active. Over the years I've tried different distros and Windows versions, so it seems unlikely to be a widespread problem.
I don't see the need for a Windows VM in this situation. In fact, a Windows VM could be the best fit for your needs. Setting up a dual-boot configuration is also viable; most Linux installers handle that well and support dual boot setups more effectively than Windows does.