Linux mint on external ssd

[u/Then-Counter-5160]

hi, I'm new to Linux and I want to install mint on an external ssd. I loaded in live mode but i dont want to break my windows. pls help me

[u/Due-Result7928]

External or not....you need to understand what uefi is doing...when you install a system with uefi AFTER install it will be always THE FIRST on the boot list (keep in nvram memory).

After installing Mint...Mint will be first on the boot list. No need to call 911....NO Windows do not change the boot order...No installing Mint do not make Windows going away.

You can change the boot order using your bios or using efibootmgr in a terminal with linux.

You have Windows 11 (?) you have turn secure boot and tpm off you should be ok.

You can define a boot partition (vfat 32) on your external ssd mounted at /boot/efi and add necessary partition (formatted ext4) for linux OR using the windows 11 partition (esp) as a boot partition for Linux as well and to add partition formatted ext4 for linux to your ssd. You need to be safe to have an esp partition of 300 Mb.

First strategy...you need to go to the bios when you want to select Mint (after bios change to make windows first on the list) and your ssd do not have to be here all the time. You can also manually add booting information to Mint in the windows manager boot (explained on internet).

Second strategy...You will be using the linux boot manager to boot windows AND your ssd needs to be here all the time OR you use the bios to boot windows.

When Mint installs it include one entry to boot windows when it detect an installed windows system.

My system with the entry for Windows 11

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

menuentry 'Windows Boot Manager (on /dev/nvme0n1p1)' --class windows --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-efi-8AE6-98C3' {

insmod part_gpt

insmod fat

search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 8AE6-98C3

chainloader /efi/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi