https://i.imgur.com/HsFP6Dn.jpg
So I try to dual boot W10 and Solus...after watching video about dual booting W10 and Mint I finally understood how to make it with Solus-the only problem is well known, but made me thinking-The first thing is the bootwoader, the secound is W10 itself, the third is unknown to me but probably from W10 and the fourth is where I store pictures, videos, etc.
And I though even after somehow I manage to change sdb4 to not me primary partition withouth deleting the content, how it is possible to even install Linux alongside W10 when W10 wants at least 3(or 2) partitions...Even if it wants 2 partitions you can at maximum only install the OS and swap partition withouth /home...
And most importantly are there any solutions?

    Extend one partition and create logical partitions inside of it.

    There are a lot of videos on YouTube about that.

      algent Not sure how to do that, but if you mean to extend sdb2 and then click on it to create new partition-it didn't allow me to chose that option.

          You can create only 4 Primary partitions. If you want more you have to extend one partition and create logical partitions inside of it.

          As an additional note, I don't believe Linux/Solus cares if it's logical or physical. (someone correct me if I'm wrong)

            dbarron I am not sure how is your situation. But before playing with Dual boot, you have to make a lot of research because you will have GRUB and MBR problems. Check also if your system is BIOS or UEFI, because they have a lot of differencies.
            I my PC i havo two HDD, one for Linux and one for Windows, It is better way for me to not have Grub or MBR problems.

                algent I need 2-the OS(root) and swap(I have 16GB memory so I probably don't need swap, but still for learning purpose 😃
                P.S I can't do that with easeus Partition, but I will download and try with AOMEI Partition Assistant.
                As I can see this can be done via something like terminal, but I don't think I will do it correctly.
                Also do I need only 1 logical partition which I will split into 2 with GParted, or I need to make them from now?

                  algent I have 2 HDD too 🙂
                  But don't know how to install Solus on the secounde one-here is a snapshot of my HDD situation:

                      Yeah, been dual booting for years and years. Since I was running Windows 3.1 in fact.

                      Emperor About sdb in which you have a lot of space unallocated. I suggest you to del sdb3 (if there are no data) and then create it again with all your GB left.

                          Emperor To put it into perspective: C(W10); N(don't know, but probably W10 shit); D(my photos and documents-the main information); E(downloads, Lightroom catalog...it's one partition for the entire drive-I added the new HDD it much later than my first HDD)...
                          I don't know much about Linux, but I don't want W10...I will leave the PC to my dad after 2-3 years and I don't want him to use W10...I think of Linux Mint, but I don't want Ubuntu repositories for privacy reasons and because they are bloated...that leaves me with PureOS, but I don't want GNOME...that leaves me with Manjaro, but it's more complexed...so I am at Solus 🙂 but it really looks like it is not gonna be that easy...
                          I don't want /home partition, I will use both HDD's files and open them with both Solus and W10-which I heard can cause some damage, especially after I am going to use different programs...in the end I don't really know what to do, but I prefer to jump into it and leave W10...

                            Well given my 78 year old Aunt has been running linux for about a year (low requirements), I'd say just do it, if nothing truly holds you to W10.
                            It's not that hard to partition for two OS's.
                            1) EFI (assuming you use EFI and not legacy)
                            2) C:\ for windows 10
                            3) Linux
                            4) Shared data repository.

                            Size as you find needed. That should do you. Utilize swapfile vs swap partition.

                              • [deleted]

                              • Post #14

                              Emperor The solution is to use GPT which supports more than four partitions.

                                  dbarron [deleted] algent Well let's start from the begining-As I see it's better to put Linux on the other HDD, not on the same as W10-if I do that it's type is GPT-do I have to somehow change it to Primary or not? Also when there are two separate HDDs,both having OS how many bootloaders(EFI) I need and where? I want to be able to simply select W10 or Solus when I turn the PC on.
                                  The other option is HDD with W10-the small primary partition is for system recovery and backup...if I delete it and nothing bad happens and I turn the partition for pictures and so on into logical and that don't delete the files or make something bad to the system, then I will have 2 partitions to make them primary partitions.
                                  Which one to choose and how to do it safely?
                                  P.S it would be great to be able to simply copy or backup the OS and put it ready for use on another PC or laptop.
                                  I also wanna be able to totally erase W10 in the future without compromising the system.

                                          I use an old PC with BIOS, and about UEFI i don't have any experience.
                                          If you use two HDD, one with Windows OS and the other with Linux, then if Windows HDD is selected to be booted first you will not see the Linux Option.
                                          If you select the second HDD to be first on system boot with grub installed on it you will se both systems Windows and Linux but with the Linux as first option. If you want to change the boot order later, as I know that this can be done with Grub Customiser but i don't know how it works on Solus.
                                          Hope i have explained it well.
                                          The second options is what i have done, in my PC.

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                                            • Post #17

                                            Emperor You need only one EFI partition, big enough to have both Solus and Windows bootloaders there.

                                            I think there's an issue though since your Windows is installed already in legacy mode, from what I can understand from your post.

                                                [deleted] I don't know...I was with W7 and used the free automated update to W10. When trying to install Solus from what I can see it's using EFI(because it's not showing plain text, but more polished-as described in Solus help center it shoud be for EFI) and not BIOS...I am with i5 4460, thus with relatively new motherboad and system.
                                                algent So if I go for the secound HDD, there is no problem that it's GPT? Also is grub preinstalled on Solus-thus meaning I would need to install two bootloaders-1 for W10 and another for Solus? And by simply choosing to boot the secound HDD from BIOS I will automatically have a choice to boot W10 or Solus?
                                                If so I am gonna do that.
                                                Also interested why operating systems have some problems with primary drives and if you install where there are no primary drives?

                                                      Emperor And by simply choosing to boot the secound HDD from BIOS I will automatically have a choice to boot W10 or Solus?

                                                      • Yes. Because Grub detect automatically it. Windows by other hand don't do that and don't care if you have installed Linux.

                                                      Be careful during installatin where you choose to install grub bootloader, because you have to select the Linux HDD.

                                                          algent Well let the games begin 🙂
                                                          I will keep in touch to post about eventual problems.