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Dual Booting NixOS and Windows: Difference between revisions

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This section explains various methods to have the bootloader prompt whether to boot windows or NixOS.
This section explains various methods to have the [[bootloader]] prompt whether to boot windows or NixOS.


== Autodetection ==
== Autodetection ==
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* the <code>boot.loader.systemd-boot.enable = true;</code> line added to configuration.nix by <code>nixos-generate-config</code> has been removed
* the <code>boot.loader.systemd-boot.enable = true;</code> line added to configuration.nix by <code>nixos-generate-config</code> has been removed


{{File|/etc/nixos/configuration.nix|nix|<nowiki>
{{File|3={ config, ... }:
{ config, ... }:


{
{
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         }
         }
       '';
       '';
      version = 2;
     };
     };
   };
   };
}</nowiki>}}
}|name=/etc/nixos/configuration.nix|lang=nix}}


==== EFI with multiple disks ====
==== EFI with multiple disks ====
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===== systemd-boot =====
===== systemd-boot =====
As systemd-boot cannot directly load binaries from other ESPs<ref>https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/3252</ref>, let alone other disks, we have to employ [https://search.nixos.org/packages?channel=unstable&show=edk2-uefi-shell&from=0&size=50&sort=relevance&type=packages&query=edk2-uefi-shell edk2-uefi-shell] to implement a chainloading strategy<ref>https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Systemd-boot#Boot_from_another_disk</ref>. The basic config looks like this:{{File|/etc/nixos/configuration.nix|nix|<nowiki>
As systemd-boot cannot directly load binaries from other ESPs<ref>https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/3252</ref>, let alone other disks, we have to employ [https://search.nixos.org/packages?channel=unstable&show=edk2-uefi-shell&from=0&size=50&sort=relevance&type=packages&query=edk2-uefi-shell edk2-uefi-shell] to implement a chainloading strategy<ref>https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Systemd-boot#Boot_from_another_disk</ref>. The basic config looks like this:{{File|/etc/nixos/configuration.nix|nix|<nowiki>
{ config, ... }:
{ ... }:


{
{
   boot.loader = {
   boot.loader = {
    systemd-boot.enable = true;
     efi.canTouchEfiVariables = true;
     efi.canTouchEfiVariables = true;


    # Copy EDK2 Shell to boot partition
     systemd-boot = {
     systemd-boot.extraFiles."efi/shell.efi" = "${pkgs.edk2-uefi-shell}/shell.efi";
      enable = true;
    systemd-boot.extraEntries = {
 
      # Chainload Windows bootloader via EDK2 Shell
      windows = {
      "windows.conf" =
        "windows" =
        let
          let
          # To determine the name of the windows boot drive, boot into edk2 first, then run
            # To determine the name of the windows boot drive, boot into edk2 first, then run
          # `map -c` to get drive aliases, and try out running `FS1:`, then `ls EFI` to check
            # `map -c` to get drive aliases, and try out running `FS1:`, then `ls EFI` to check
          # which alias corresponds to which EFI partition.
            # which alias corresponds to which EFI partition.
          boot-drive = "FS1";
            boot-drive = "FS1";
        in
          in
        ''
          {
          title Windows Bootloader
            title = "Windows";
          efi /efi/shell.efi
            efiDeviceHandle = boot-drive;
          options -nointerrupt -nomap -noversion ${boot-drive}:EFI\Microsoft\Boot\Bootmgfw.efi
            sortKey = "y_windows";
          sort-key y_windows
          };
        '';
       };
       # Make EDK2 Shell available as a boot option
 
       "edk2-uefi-shell.conf" = ''
       edk2-uefi-shell.enable = true;
        title EDK2 UEFI Shell
      edk2-uefi-shell.sortKey = "z_edk2";
        efi /efi/shell.efi
        sort-key z_edk2
      '';
     };
     };
   };
   };
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== System time ==
== System time ==


System clock might be incorrect after booting Windows and going back to the NixOS. It can be fixed by either setting RTC time standard to UTC on Windows, or setting it to localtime on NixOS.
System clock might be incorrect after booting Windows and going back to NixOS.
 
It can be fixed by setting RTC time standard to UTC on Windows (''recommended'', see [https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System_time#UTC_in_Microsoft_Windows how to do this]).


Setting RTC time standard to localtime, compatible with Windows in its default configuration:
Alternatively, you can set NixOS RTC time standard to localtime, compatible with Windows in its default configuration:


{{file|/etc/nixos/configuration.nix|nix|<nowiki>
{{file|/etc/nixos/configuration.nix|nix|<nowiki>
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}</nowiki>}}
}</nowiki>}}


See [https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System_time#Time_standard Arch Linux wiki#System time].
See [https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System_time#Time_standard Arch Linux wiki#System time] for discussion of both options.


== See also ==
== See also ==
* [[GNU GRUB]]
* [https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GRUB#Windows_installed_in_UEFI-GPT_Mode_menu_entry Arch Linux wiki#GRUB]
* [https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GRUB#Windows_installed_in_UEFI-GPT_Mode_menu_entry Arch Linux wiki#GRUB]
* [https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/nixos/modules/system/boot/loader/grub/install-grub.pl NixOS GRUB installer] (check the code block beginning with <nowiki># install EFI GRUB</nowiki>)
* [https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/nixos/modules/system/boot/loader/grub/install-grub.pl NixOS GRUB installer] (check the code block beginning with <nowiki># install EFI GRUB</nowiki>)


[[Category:Cookbook]][[Category:NixOS]]
[[Category:Cookbook]]
[[Category:NixOS]]
[[Category:Booting]]
Retrieved from "https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/Dual_Booting_NixOS_and_Windows"