RHEL 7 / Windows Server 2008 R2 dual boot on Proliant

Question

I'm using HP DL360p Gen8 and so can use Intelligent Provisioning How to install dual-boot system? Which system to install first? Should I use Intelligent Provisioning or not?

upd: I've found connected question here: https://access.redhat.com/discussions/1196433

upd: Adding screenshot. How can I configure installer to add Windows Server 2008 R2 to bootloader? Or it is not possible at this stage and I should do something later?

upd: I don't know but probably this will work. I can't verify right now, probably I will verify next Saturday.

upd also I've found this article will try it https://access.redhat.com/solutions/961353

Answer 1

I tested dual booting RHEL 7 with Windows Server 2008 R2 (both in Legacy Mode) and documented it in this youtube video. These are the steps that I followed:

Step1: Make some space for installing RHEL 7 in Windows. I usually use Disk Management Utility to shrink one of the existing NTFS partitions. Leave the empty space unallocated.

Step2: Boot RHEL 7 Installation Disc in Legacy mode. (Although Installation disk of Windows Server 2008 R2 is supposed to support UEFI, it gets stuck midway after booting).

Step3: Start Installation

Step4: Make some partitions in the free space. I usually create 3 partitions. One with the mount point '/' and the second with the mount point '/boot' and the third being the swap partition. The first and second can be combined into one into the first one. But it is a matter of choice. One can also create another partition for mount point '/home'. The space that I allocate to swap partition is usually half of my physical RAM, since I don't run many memory hungry programs.

Step5: Continue with the installation

Step6: Boot into newly installed RHEL 7. You will notice that there was no option to boot into Windows Server 2008 R2. Strange, but true.

Step7: Add a menu entry for Windows in /etc/grub.d/41_custom. Example:

cat <<EOF
menuentry "Windows Server 2008 R2" --class windows --class os {
    insmod part_msdos
    insmod ntfs
    set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
    search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 5478AE7178AE5192
    chainloader +1
}
EOF

The value for set root= should point to the partition which is marked as bootable. To check this, run the command: fdisk -l as root. Sample Output:

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *    41943040   167772159    62914560    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2       167772160   432199679   132213760    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda4       432199680   625141759    96471040    5  Extended
/dev/sda5       448507904   625141759    88316928   83  Linux
/dev/sda6       432201728   436398079     2098176   82  Linux swap / Solaris

The partition with '*' in the 'Boot' column is the partition which has to be used as the value to set root=. 1 in msdos1 corresponds to /dev/sda1

The argument to --set=root is the UUID of the same partition with the boot flag enabled. Find that out by running the command blkid as root. Sample Output:

/dev/sda1: LABEL="OS" UUID="5478AE7178AE5192" TYPE="ntfs" 
/dev/sda2: LABEL="Data" UUID="54065C15065BF688" TYPE="ntfs" 
/dev/sda5: UUID="ba2f07fa-ce2e-4705-ab39-203eb2be0053" TYPE="ext4" 
/dev/sda6: UUID="d472a2f9-295e-4536-8273-b7eb489fc9e4" TYPE="swap" 

Regenerate grub configuration, using the command: grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Step8: Reboot. Done!

Answer 2

my workflow for a dual-boot system with Linux and Windows:

1. use a Live CD or the rescue mode of the install CD to partition the available space, starting with a chunk for Windows, then Linux.
2. install Windows, but don't repartition. Use the chunk you set aside for Windows for installing it.
3. Install Linux and let the Linux installer detect the Windows install and setup a boot entry for the Windows installation

remarks:

• works for most Linux distributions, including RHEL and SLES in current incarnations - look for the "rescue" boot option to get a minimal working environment
• if a boot option cannot partition because drivers are missing, start a Linux install and continue to the partitioning step, setup partitions, and carry on until the changes are actually applied. Now abort install windows.
• after the first partitioning, only select partitions and have them formatted, but don't accept the proposals of some installers to repartition
• Windows goes first, the continue with Linux

• fit a rescue/maintenance Linux "root-only" on a plain filesystem without swap into a smaller chunk before the "main" Linux. For a RHEL7 install, that means, do not chose the [RHEL7 Recommended Partitioning Scheme][ttps://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/7/html/Installation_Guide/sect-disk-partitioning-setup-x86.html#sect-recommended-partitioning-scheme-x86], but [manually partition the disk][https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/7/html/Installation_Guide/sect-disk-partitioning-setup-x86.html#sect-custom-partitioning-x86] and choose one partition containing a file system as installation destination

• example layout:

  • p1 - 64 GB Windows OS
  • p2 - 10 GB Linux maintenance (= first complete Linux installation with p2 as / holding everything)
  • p3 - 10 GB Linux root (= second complete Linux installation, using p3 as /boot and p4 as LVM, containing all other partitions)
  • p4 - 100 GB Linux LVM

Answer 3

Here's the answer: Use UBUNTU. It will do the dual boot configuration correctly, without having to perform any MS like convoluted "magic" with configuration files, your wireless LAN card will work from the start and mounting the NTFS drive(s) requires uncommenting a line in /etc/fstab. Unfortunately, I have to learn RHEL for work so I am forced to deal with this arcana. Personally I would love it if work would keep Solaris 10 with the built-in virtualization.