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I am trying to dual boot pre-installed windows 11 with BitLocker enabled and Ubuntu on a 2nd SSD with its own boot partition.
In my setup, I would manually partition the 2nd SSD(The one for Ubuntu) with its own EFI boot partition and install the bootloader in the Ubuntu drive and use Grub to recognize windows and any future distro I add

I have seen some solutions online in various forums, but they vastly differ and don't seem to get a consensus. Basically, the options are:

  1. Disable bitlocker encryption
  2. Methods involving booting from the same SSD using one UEFI partition.
  3. Booting via bios.

I can live with 3 and 2 since the windows one is mostly for gaming but figured I would rather see if there was a workaround where I could use Grub as the bootloader and if it would recognize the windows OS even though if the system is encrypted(not sure if the UEFI is though... It did not seem so).

TLDR: Would installing Ubuntu on the second SSD and use grub to boot into windows, despite BitLocker encryption, work for this use case?

Thank you, and much appreciated.

The Idiot Savant
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  • Do not know if you turn bitlocker back on, if grub will still boot it. You do have to do a work around to get grub to install to the ESP on the external drive. Various work arounds: Posted work around to manually unmount & mount correct ESP during install #55 or( #23 & #26) https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/1396379 & https://askubuntu.com/questions/16988/how-do-i-install-ubuntu-to-a-usb-key-without-using-startup-disk-creator Have seen where rEFInd may work as it in effect reboots system, so UEFI still booting Windows directly. – oldfred Dec 27 '22 at 04:30
  • Thanks for the references! Will check em out and see where it goes. – The Idiot Savant Dec 27 '22 at 10:03
  • Some more info: Dual boot with Bitlocker works https://askubuntu.com/questions/1135654/how-to-install-ubuntu-alongside-bitlocker-encrypted-windows10 & https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntu-installation-on-computers-running-windows-and-bitlocker-turned-on/15338licen Bitlocker & keys info (Full Volume Encryption Key, FVEK), (Volume Master Key, VMK) which encrypts the FVEK, but keys to encrypt the VMK. https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2456222&p=14013210#post14013210 – oldfred Dec 27 '22 at 15:40
  • FOr me the easiest way to get Ubuntu/Grub on the second drive is to temporary disconnect the Windows drive. – Joepie Es Dec 27 '22 at 21:01
  • @oldfred Thank you so much! This might be the best one for my use case. Will give it a try and update how it goes :) – The Idiot Savant Dec 27 '22 at 22:35
  • @JoepieEs I was thinking of trying this. But I heard that you want have windows installed first or it will mess its bootloader? Also if that is not the case, Will grub boot menu be able to find the Windows OS after connecting it? – The Idiot Savant Dec 27 '22 at 22:37
  • If both systems are UEFI which you must do, just running `sudo update-grub` should find Windows boot entry in Windows drive's ESP if os-prober is on. They are turning it off, or recommending you turn it off for security reasons. It normally runs once on initial install. I always turn it off as I have multiple installs, so old and I do not want them in menu. I add only the boot stanzas I want into 40_custom. Grub 2.06 turns off os-prober in /etc/default/grub, but you can turn it on temporarily as required. – oldfred Dec 28 '22 at 04:30

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