Without using Grub can you switch operating systems with keyboard at startup?
I am using Zorin 17 OS
You could do it with the BIOS Boot Order Option.
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If on separate drives. Atlernatively:
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Interesting concept ..... so this would allow one to be working in in say Zorin 17 and all you would have to do is flip a switch and immediately be in Windows OS and when done flip it back and be right back in Zorin .....
I wonder if you would be right back where you left off like in maybe Libre Office typing a document or would you have to go through the log in stage of Zorin ?????? ......
I don't know. Thought it was novel. I think basically it is at boot time, as an OS cannot access hardware in use by the other OS. So he made a USB device (the switch), makes that the bootable device and dependent upon which way the switch is will load the OS it is pointing to. I guess for multiple OS's you could hack a Steering wheel with gearshift device to cope with that using Steering Wheel's USB connection! LOL!
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That's what I was wondering about ..... my thoughts were that if it were possible someone would have come up with a program other than a work around .....
Yes, it all comes down to the most important component: Init.
Init is required for any operating system to be able to communicate with the hardware - which means that the change must be made at initial boot.
The only other way to switch casually between operating systems without rebooting is to actively be running another OS within a Virtual Environment with file access.
VMWare, Virtualbox... things like that.
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That's really clever!
The problem is that I installed two different Linux systems on the same SSD in two partitions. When I go to fix Grub menu I get this error:
The current session is in BIOS-compatibility mode. Please disable BIOS-compatibility/CSM/Legacy mode in your UEFI firmware, and use this software from a live-CD (or live-USB) that is compatible with UEFI booting mode.
For example, use a live-USB of Boot-Repair-Disk-64bit (boot-repair-disk download | SourceForge.net), after making sure your BIOS is set up to boot USB in EFI mode. This will enable this feature.
The computer that I am using does not have a UEFI setting in BIOS, it's an old computer. Is there a way to change to Legacy/MBR in the two Linux systems that I have? If not how can I install them in a Legacy format? I guess I could just switch boot order in BIOS but that would be a pain.
Thank you
Maybe this could help You:
There would be Rufus a good Tool because You can there choose between GPT and MBR. but Rufus is only working on Windows. So, You would need a Windows-PC for that. If You don't have one, maybe You can ask a Friend or Neighbor.
Ponce-De-Leon
I changed both systems to MBR and went to repair boot loader and got the same message.
I found that when you are booting up when it says it's going to boot a system I keep clicking the down arrow until after the short line disappears. Then I click on the Enter key and I get the other system to boot. I do not understand what is happening but it works for now. Any other ideas?
Hmm ... Did You looked in your BIOS for this CSM Stuff to disable it?
From my Perspective I would say save Your Data and make a fresh Reinstall and use Rufus if You can to make the bootable USB Stick with MBR. And before You install it, look in the BIOS that Stuff like Secure Boot is disabled.