3

My goal is to have a dual-boot of Qubes OS 3.1 and Fedora 23 Workstation (respin). This guy got it working on Ubuntu, but he installed Ubuntu first, while I installed Qubes first. The last resort would be to follow him and reinstall from scratch, but I want to learn something.

What have I tried:

  • installed Qubes OS 3.1 (OK)
  • updated Qubes OS 3.1 dom0 and Fedora23 template (OK)
  • installed the latest Fedora 23 Workstation respin (OK, but reported some GRUB2 bootloader failure; nevertheless Fedora booted fine)
  • updated the latest Fedora 23 Workstation (OK, there were no updates)
  • tried to boot Qubes (fail, no menuentry in GRUB2 boot menu yet)
  • created a menuentry for Qubes (OK, see bellow)
  • tried to boot Qubes (fail, see screenshot)
  • googled this workaround and installed the package
  • I get thgrough the error message now, but after a few seconds the system reboots itself and does that infinitely

How I added the menuitem:

I booted into Fedora and went to the /etc/grub.d/ folder, and edited the 40_custom file. In there i pasted everything between the xen section of the /boot/grub2/grub.cfg file on the qubes boot partition, into the end of that 40_custom file on Fedora. Then I executed the following command under root

grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/efi/EFI/fedora/grub.cfg

and the qubes menuitems got generated into the grub.cfg and became visible in the boot menu. I can provide the contents of grub.cfg later, in the meantime I'd like to know what might got wrong and how to fix it.

Notable information:

  • Qubes boots from GPT on Legacy BIOS (with 2MB biosboot partition)
  • Fedora boots from GPT on UEFI (with EFI partition)
  • each OS has separate /bootpartition, as well as other partitions
  • there is no extra /bootpartition

Here is the promised grub.cfg:

# # DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE # # It is automatically generated by grub2-mkconfig using templates # from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub # ### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ### set pager=1 if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then load_env fi if [ "${next_entry}" ] ; then set default="${next_entry}" set next_entry= save_env next_entry set boot_once=true else set default="${saved_entry}" fi if [ x"${feature_menuentry_id}" = xy ]; then menuentry_id_option="--id" else menuentry_id_option="" fi export menuentry_id_option if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}" save_env saved_entry set prev_saved_entry= save_env prev_saved_entry set boot_once=true fi function savedefault { if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then saved_entry="${chosen}" save_env saved_entry fi } function load_video { if [ x$feature_all_video_module = xy ]; then insmod all_video else insmod efi_gop insmod efi_uga insmod ieee1275_fb insmod vbe insmod vga insmod video_bochs insmod video_cirrus fi } terminal_output console if [ x$feature_timeout_style = xy ] ; then set timeout_style=menu set timeout=5 # Fallback normal timeout code in case the timeout_style feature is # unavailable. else set timeout=5 fi ### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ### ### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/01_users ### if [ -f ${prefix}/user.cfg ]; then source ${prefix}/user.cfg if [ -n "${GRUB2_PASSWORD}" ]; then set superusers="root" export superusers password_pbkdf2 root ${GRUB2_PASSWORD} fi fi ### END /etc/grub.d/01_users ### ### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ### menuentry 'Fedora (4.4.8-300.fc23.x86_64) 23 (Workstation Edition)' --class fedora --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os --unrestricted $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-4.4.8-300.fc23.x86_64-advanced-d43f46bc-7649-44ca-b02d-7599d115a8e8' { load_video set gfxpayload=keep insmod gzio insmod part_gpt insmod ext2 set root='hd0,gpt6' if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,gpt6 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt6 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt6 440e2ced-56a2-432f-95e0-c5f1c33941a9 else search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 440e2ced-56a2-432f-95e0-c5f1c33941a9 fi linuxefi /vmlinuz-4.4.8-300.fc23.x86_64 root=UUID=d43f46bc-7649-44ca-b02d-7599d115a8e8 ro rootflags=subvol=root00 rhgb quiet initrdefi /initramfs-4.4.8-300.fc23.x86_64.img } menuentry 'Fedora (0-rescue-1dccfd914c254de687a4ba1c13e159a9) 23 (Workstation Edition)' --class fedora --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os --unrestricted $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-0-rescue-1dccfd914c254de687a4ba1c13e159a9-advanced-d43f46bc-7649-44ca-b02d-7599d115a8e8' { load_video insmod gzio insmod part_gpt insmod ext2 set root='hd0,gpt6' if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,gpt6 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt6 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt6 440e2ced-56a2-432f-95e0-c5f1c33941a9 else search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 440e2ced-56a2-432f-95e0-c5f1c33941a9 fi linuxefi /vmlinuz-0-rescue-1dccfd914c254de687a4ba1c13e159a9 root=UUID=d43f46bc-7649-44ca-b02d-7599d115a8e8 ro rootflags=subvol=root00 rhgb quiet initrdefi /initramfs-0-rescue-1dccfd914c254de687a4ba1c13e159a9.img } if [ "x$default" = 'Fedora (4.4.8-300.fc23.x86_64) 23 (Workstation Edition)' ]; then default='Advanced options for Fedora>Fedora (4.4.8-300.fc23.x86_64) 23 (Workstation Edition)'; fi; ### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ### ### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ### ### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ### ### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_ppc_terminfo ### ### END /etc/grub.d/20_ppc_terminfo ### ### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ### ### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ### ### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ### # This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the # menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change # the 'exec tail' line above. menuentry 'Qubes, with Xen hypervisor' --class qubes --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os --class xen $menuentry_id_option 'xen-gnulinux-simple-6e934da1-b43d-434b-83b2-878d454fb6bd' { insmod part_gpt insmod ext2 set root='hd0,gpt2' if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,gpt2 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt2 --hint='hd0,gpt2' 9c6e43e7-856f-4840-a04f-6936735f5835 else search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 9c6e43e7-856f-4840-a04f-6936735f5835 fi echo 'Loading Xen 4.6.0 ...' if [ "$grub_platform" = "pc" -o "$grub_platform" = "" ]; then xen_rm_opts= else xen_rm_opts="no-real-mode edd=off" fi multiboot /xen-4.6.0.gz placeholder console=none dom0_mem=min:1024M dom0_mem=max:4096M ${xen_rm_opts} echo 'Loading Linux 4.1.13-9.pvops.qubes.x86_64 ...' module /vmlinuz-4.1.13-9.pvops.qubes.x86_64 placeholder root=UUID=6e934da1-b43d-434b-83b2-878d454fb6bd ro rootflags=subvol=root i915.preliminary_hw_support=1 vconsole.font=latarcyrheb-sun16 rhgb quiet echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...' module /initramfs-4.1.13-9.pvops.qubes.x86_64.img } submenu 'Advanced options for Qubes (with Xen hypervisor)' $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-advanced-6e934da1-b43d-434b-83b2-878d454fb6bd' { submenu 'Xen hypervisor, version 4.6.0' $menuentry_id_option 'xen-hypervisor-4.6.0-6e934da1-b43d-434b-83b2-878d454fb6bd' { menuentry 'Qubes, with Xen 4.6.0 and Linux 4.1.13-9.pvops.qubes.x86_64' --class qubes --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os --class xen $menuentry_id_option 'xen-gnulinux-4.1.13-9.pvops.qubes.x86_64-advanced-6e934da1-b43d-434b-83b2-878d454fb6bd' { insmod part_gpt insmod ext2 set root='hd0,gpt2' if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,gpt2 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt2 --hint='hd0,gpt2' 9c6e43e7-856f-4840-a04f-6936735f5835 else search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 9c6e43e7-856f-4840-a04f-6936735f5835 fi echo 'Loading Xen 4.6.0 ...' if [ "$grub_platform" = "pc" -o "$grub_platform" = "" ]; then xen_rm_opts= else xen_rm_opts="no-real-mode edd=off" fi multiboot /xen-4.6.0.gz placeholder console=none dom0_mem=min:1024M dom0_mem=max:4096M ${xen_rm_opts} echo 'Loading Linux 4.1.13-9.pvops.qubes.x86_64 ...' module /vmlinuz-4.1.13-9.pvops.qubes.x86_64 placeholder root=UUID=6e934da1-b43d-434b-83b2-878d454fb6bd ro rootflags=subvol=root i915.preliminary_hw_support=1 vconsole.font=latarcyrheb-sun16 rhgb quiet echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...' module /initramfs-4.1.13-9.pvops.qubes.x86_64.img } } } ### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ### ### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom.backup ### # This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the # menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change # the 'exec tail' line above. ### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom.backup ### ### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ### if [ -f ${config_directory}/custom.cfg ]; then source ${config_directory}/custom.cfg elif [ -z "${config_directory}" -a -f $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then source $prefix/custom.cfg; fi ### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###

a copy is also on Pastebin.

Improve this question

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
1

Here is an authoritative answer from Marek Marczykowski-Górecki (Invisible Things Lab), who is one of the core developers of the Qubes OS. The source is the qubes-users forum, where I originally asked the question.

This is main problem - you're trying to boot legacy system (Qubes here) from UEFI grub (Fedora). You need to choose one of them - either boot both in legacy mode, or both in UEFI mode (or change bios settings at each boot...). So, one option is to setup Fedora in legacy mode - then putting Qubes legacy boot entry in 40_custom (as you've done) should be enough.

It is also possible to boot Qubes from UEFI, but it requires different configuration. And in most cases Grub doesn't make it easier... Anyway you can try:

  1. Locate xen-4.6.0.efi - it should be installed into /boot/efi/EFI/qubes/. Place it in your EFI System Partition (if /boot/efi isn't there already).

  2. Create xen.cfg in the same directory with a content like this:

    [global] default=4.1.13-8.pvops.qubes.x86_64

    [4.1.13-8.pvops.qubes.x86_64] options=loglvl=all kernel=vmlinuz-4.1.13-8.pvops.qubes.x86_64 root=/dev/dm-2 vconsole.font=latarcyrheb-sun16 rd.lvm.lv=qubes_dom0/root ramdisk=initramfs-4.1.13-8.pvops.qubes.x86_64.img

    Adjust kernel version, root= and rd.lvm.lv= parameters.

  3. Make sure the kernel and initramfs files are in the same directory as xen.cfg (most likely you'll need to copy them from /boot). It is critical to have them on EFI System Partition (even if Grub can load them from other places).

  4. Add grub entry:

    menuentry 'Qubes UEFI' { chainloader /EFI/qubes/xen-4.6.0.efi }

Look here for related troubleshooting: https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/uefi-troubleshooting/ https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/794

Improve this answer
0

I doubt this will help, but here's what I've done to dual-boot Qubes and Mint. This is a direct crib from Micah Lee's blog, so I take no credit for it. (https://micahflee.com/2014/04/dual-booting-qubes-and-ubuntu-with-encrypted-disks/)

I booted from a Mint live DVD for the initial hdd partitioning.

  1. Create three partitions on the HDD: one for Qubes and one for Fedora, and a small boot partition. Format the partition for Fedora (ext4 or whatever) and the boot partition, and set the boot flag. Leave the Qubes partition unformatted -- Qubes' installer seems happiest finding free space for its encrypted partition. But don't install Qubes yet.

  2. Install Fedora on the ext4 partition, with the bootloader installed to the the boot partition. Don't let it install the bootloader to dev/sda.

  3. Now reboot from your Qubes installation media. The installer should find the unformatted partition and you should be able to install Qubes there.

  4. Reboot. When I did that, the only option was Qubes. Go ahead and boot to Qubes.

  5. Open a terminal in dom0, and use vim or whatever to edit /etc/grub.d/40_custom, just adding three lines at the top:

menuentry "Fedora 23" { set root=(hdd0,1) chainloader +1 }

Then, as per Micah's blog, I reinstalled grub:

sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg sudo grub2-install /dev/sda

I ended up with a dual-boot Qubes-and-Mint machine.

Good luck.

Improve this answer
4
  • Thank you for your advice, but I already know of Micah Lee's blog. I have even referenced it in my question under "This guy". What I want is a non-destructive way to install the bootloader without any re-installation. It would also be extremely informative to understand why does it not happen using the procedure I tried. Commented May 5, 2016 at 21:49
  • Did the advice from Marek Marczykowski-Górecki about either legacy or UEFI, but avoid mixing them across boot systems, help the situation? Commented May 13, 2016 at 1:55
  • I sense sarcasm in your comment. Marek not only pinpointed what exactly was wrong, but also given an original solution to make Legacy Qubes boot under UEFI. Your question only repeated the tutorial I referenced in the 1st line of my question, with an explanation why it is not usefull. So please, don't be offended, I could not have given you the bounty even if I wanted to, you did not have at least two upvotes to allow me to award it. Commented May 13, 2016 at 8:52
  • No, no sarcasm was meant, Slazer. The "bounty" is irrelevant to me, and I don't come to this site often enough to worry about votes. I was (and remain) curious about the results on your hardware because I will be reconfiguring another of my machines to dual-boot Qubes (but not with Mint this time), and ... well, I would prefer to be aware of pitfalls before I start! Commented May 16, 2016 at 19:31

You must log in to answer this question.

Start asking to get answers

Find the answer to your question by asking.

Ask question

Explore related questions

See similar questions with these tags.