New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

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srs5694
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Re: New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

Post by srs5694 »

hflaxman wrote:My question now relates to a 5,2 white MacBook that I want to run Mint 16 as the sole OS. I will not use OS X at all if it isn't needed.
IMHO, the best way to install Linux on a Mac when Linux is to be the only OS is to do so in BIOS mode. That is, put an MBR partition table on the disk and a BIOS-mode boot loader (probably GRUB 2, if you're installing Mint). This usually works better than doing an EFI-mode installation because the Mac's EFI is rather weird, and Linux tools tend to cater to the more common EFI variants found on PCs. Doing as I suggest would not use rEFInd (or rEFIt).

OTOH, doing it this way will make it more complex to install OS X in the future, should you want to do so, and will make it harder to upgrade your firmware, should you have need to do so. If you want to install Linux in EFI mode to facilitate these possible future actions, then you can choose to use [url=http://www.rodsbooks.com/efi-bootloaders/]any of the available EFI boot loaders for Linux.[/url] Mint uses GRUB 2 by default, but you can use rEFInd instead of or in addition to GRUB 2, if you like. The problem is that Mint probably won't set up GRUB correctly, so you'll need to use OS X to set it up correctly, track down and use the Linux port of "bless", or use a workaround such as naming the boot loader EFI/BOOT/bootx64.efi on the ESP. You'd need to do one of these things to get rEFInd working, too.
YeeP

Re: New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

Post by YeeP »

srs5694 wrote:
YeeP wrote:I do agree with you that multiple kernels listed could be helpful if the sh*t hits the fan. However, this is a brand new install (one of which I would hope there is only a single kernel in), and only one distro thus far.
srs5694 wrote:If you think that something else is happening, more details are necessary, such as the exact description of each kernel option.
What kind of exact information can I provide?
As I said: the exact description of each kernel option. That is, when you highlight an option, you'll see a description of it, such as "Boot foo.efi from ESP". That identifies the file (foo.efi) and the volume (ESP).
Ok, so here are my options on the rEFInd screen and what I know them to be.

Boot Microsoft EFI boot <---- Windows 8.1
Boot EFI\linuxmint\grubx64.efi <----Mint 15. I have not gotten rid of this kernel yet (This is the one that actually has a linux mint icon, I did not put it there)
Boot boot\vmlinuz-3.11.0-14-generic <--Mint 16 I think I use the instal.sh to move the boot over to the EFI folder. Not sure on that
Boot boot\vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic <----???? has been here from the start, would like to get rid of it.


So, I do plan on removing Mint 15 from the machine, and would like to move mint 16 to boot from the same folder. The last listing just needs to go away. Thanks for any help!
srs5694
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Re: New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

Post by srs5694 »

YeeP wrote:Ok, so here are my options on the rEFInd screen and what I know them to be.

Boot Microsoft EFI boot <---- Windows 8.1
Boot EFI\linuxmint\grubx64.efi <----Mint 15. I have not gotten rid of this kernel yet (This is the one that actually has a linux mint icon, I did not put it there)
The grubx64.efi entry is not an entry for a kernel, at least not directly from rEFInd; it's an entry for GRUB. Depending on your GRUB configuration, this might produce a GRUB menu, boot straight through to your standard Linux installation, or fail in one way or another. Based on your description, I suspect the second is happening for you, so it looks as if GRUB isn't involved, but in fact it is.
Boot boot\vmlinuz-3.11.0-14-generic <--Mint 16 I think I use the instal.sh to move the boot over to the EFI folder. Not sure on that
Boot boot\vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic <----???? has been here from the start, would like to get rid of it.
If the vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic kernel is installed in Mint, you should be able to remove it with synaptic or whatever other package manager you like. If it's left over from a previous install, though, simply removing the /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic file will do the trick. (You could do this even if it's installed via a Debian package, but that would render the package database inaccurate, which isn't advisable.) Also, please note the volume names or descriptions; it could be that the two kernels are installed on different partitions, in which case you might need to mount the other partition to get rid of the entry. (In this case, that would indicate that you've got an old installation lurking on your computer.)

Also, since you mentioned icons, you can adjust them as you see fit; see [url=http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/configfile.html#hiding]this section of the rEFInd documentation[/url] for details.
YeeP

Re: New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

Post by YeeP »

I went through all of your recomended detective work and have the menu back down to a two selection setup. Now the question comes to the setup of the refind.conf file.

The Mint 16 kernel is still out at: Boot boot\vmlinuz-3.11.0-14-generic

That is not a problem I suppose, but I would like to have the efi file that is in the expected rEFInd folder structure specifically bootmgr.efi as I think is expected. How/what creates this file and where can I do that so I can move it for mint into a "linuxmint" folder in the expected file structure. I believe this is the key that I do not understand of the process.
srs5694
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Re: New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

Post by srs5694 »

YeeP wrote:I went through all of your recomended detective work and have the menu back down to a two selection setup. Now the question comes to the setup of the refind.conf file.

The Mint 16 kernel is still out at: Boot boot\vmlinuz-3.11.0-14-generic

That is not a problem I suppose, but I would like to have the efi file that is in the expected rEFInd folder structure specifically bootmgr.efi as I think is expected. How/what creates this file and where can I do that so I can move it for mint into a "linuxmint" folder in the expected file structure. I believe this is the key that I do not understand of the process.
The bootmgr.efi file is a secondary Windows boot loader file. If you're dual-booting with Windows, rEFInd should be auto-detecting the EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi file, which is the primary Windows boot loader program. rEFInd doesn't present that filename, though; it just says "Boot Windows..."

A Mint installation will normally have a file called EFI/linuxmint/grubx64.efi, which is GRUB and which you've reported having. You may also see one or more vmlinuz-* or boot/vmlinuz-* files, which are Linux kernels.

Thus, either I'm not understanding your issue or you don't have anything else to do. You shouldn't rename the GRUB or Linux kernel files unless you know what you're doing and have a specific reason for making such changes.
Timbot2000

Trying toInstall on Lenovo G500..

Post by Timbot2000 »

This is Un-fun.
Just purchased G500, which is of course a UEFI boot system. Changed boot setup to USB+Legacy boot, but still bootloader does not load. Unetbootin: Fail, LinuxLive: Fail, Rufus: Fail, with EFI settings! Everything just stalls at the Lenovo splash. Tried installing rEFInd, but that was unsuccessful and everything takes 4x as long in POS Win 8 anyway. What I need is the right tool and right setup for the job. The sooner I am rid of Win 8 the better.
srs5694
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Re: New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

Post by srs5694 »

Timbot2000,

Please read my Web page on UEFI-mode Linux installations. If that doesn't help, please start a new thread detailing your specific problems. Provide as much detail as possible -- saying that something "failed" is insufficient. We need to know the precise symptoms of that failure. For instance, what (if any) messages are displayed on the screen prior to the failure? Does the computer hang, reboot, or misbehave in some other way? What was the last thing you saw that seemed to be working normally? What steps have you taken to attempt to debug the problem? The output (RESULTS.txt file) of the Boot Info Script may also be helpful.
forgticy

Re: New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

Post by forgticy »

I got to say thank you very much!!!!!

I recently acquired an Asus X202E with a bad hard drive. I tested a live USB of Mint 15 version of Mate 64 bit. I was so impressed with this computer's performance with this and decided to get an SSD. Bought a kingston 60 GB SSD from Amazon for 53 bucks. I installed Olivia on the SSD multiple times, different configurations, computer setup settings, etc., but could not get it to boot from the SSD. I came across this thread. I tried the deb file first but that failed, probably because I was runnning off the flash drive. I then tried the zip file and ran the installation script after doing the df /boot/efi command. I now have a working olivia booting off this SSD. And the performance is amazing. I see that this is quickly going to be my favorite little laptop!!!!!!
Caps18

Re: New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

Post by Caps18 »

I recently updated my MacBook Pro to 10.9.1, and had to reinstall rEFInd. But when I did, it has a problem where it can still see that the Linux Mint partition is there, but displays the error.

http://forums.linuxmint.com/download/fi ... =16185&t=1


I can boot from the Live CD, and I can find the rEFInd config files, but I'm not quite sure what to do in order to point the Linux boot choice at startup to my existing partition? Re-installing linux is an option, but I think that would be a little extreme to fix this issue. Has anybody else had this problem? Do you have any suggestions?
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Dngrsone
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Re: New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

Post by Dngrsone »

I am using rEFInd on a Toshiba S55t-A5238 dual-boot Windows 8 and Mint 15 (Cinnamon) with KDE-full-desktop installed on top.

I have a problem with the keyboard not working when trying to resume when opening the lid.

I don't normally put the machine into suspend by closing the lid, but I have children trying to be helpful (keeping grandchildren out of trouble), and so I am forced to turn off the machine and restart.

My research tells me that this machine has an Intel i8042 controller, and so (according to several pages, including this one) I need to a parameter to grub to mitigate this problem: atkbd.reset i8042.nomux

I am supposed to add this parameter to the grub configuration script at /etc/default/grub, but there is no file there. I have no idea how to add this parameter in an empty file.

Additionally, I had installed kernel 3.10.0 in order to have wifi drivers (details here), so the nosplash parameter is not in the /boot/grub/grub,cfg file (I know, not supposed to edit it directly) so I don't know where to put the parameter in there.

So, not really realted to rEFInd other than I don't know whether my machine actually boots through grub, anyway, since I am using a locally signed vmlinuz file through rEFInd.

Any ideas, suggestions as to how I can fix my mess?
Try politeness; people will like you for it.
srs5694
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Re: New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

Post by srs5694 »

Dngrsone wrote:My research tells me that this machine has an Intel i8042 controller, and so (according to several pages, including this one) I need to a parameter to grub to mitigate this problem: atkbd.reset i8042.nomux
In rEFInd, you can put such parameters in the /boot/refind_linux.conf file. (If your computer lacks that file, you can create it with the mkrlconf.sh script that ships with rEFInd.) For instance, your file might look like this:

Code: Select all

"Boot with normal options"   "ro root=/dev/mapper/nessus-mint"
"Boot into single-user mode" "ro root=/dev/mapper/nessus-mint single"
You'd change it to look like this:

Code: Select all

"Boot with normal options"   "ro root=/dev/mapper/nessus-mint atkbd.reset i8042.nomux"
"Boot into single-user mode" "ro root=/dev/mapper/nessus-mint single atkbd.reset i8042.nomux"
The details will be different for your computer, of course; the point is simply to add your new options to those that are already there.
Additionally, I had installed kernel 3.10.0 in order to have wifi drivers (details here), so the nosplash parameter is not in the /boot/grub/grub,cfg file (I know, not supposed to edit it directly) so I don't know where to put the parameter in there.
Again, add it to the /boot/refind_linux.conf file.
So, not really realted to rEFInd other than I don't know whether my machine actually boots through grub, anyway, since I am using a locally signed vmlinuz file through rEFInd.
Your question is absolutely related to rEFInd! A lot of Linux documentation is very GRUB-centric these days. If you're not using GRUB, you need to know how to do something equivalent with whatever boot manager or boot loader you are using. In the case of rEFInd, it uses two configuration files: refind.conf (usually in /boot/efi/EFI/refind) to control rEFInd itself and /boot/refind_linux.conf to hold options passed to the kernel. This is actually much simpler than the constellation of configuration files for GRUB.
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Dngrsone
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Re: New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

Post by Dngrsone »

Thanks a bunch, srs5694, I will give that a try.

** Edit: it works! Again, much thanks for the information!
Try politeness; people will like you for it.
YeeP

Re: New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

Post by YeeP »

srs5694 wrote:
YeeP wrote:Based on a previous post by you;
In a multi-Linux installation, you're likely to want a /boot/refind_linux.conf file for each distribution, so you'll need to generate this manually or run the mkrlconf.sh script for the second distribution.
I would guess that the steps in a simple description would be something like this

1) install first distro
2) reboot in CSM mode, install refind
3) reboot in EFI and check to make sure all is working, fix what is needed.
4) boot from live disc for distro #2 and install.
5) reboot distro 2, or just run the mkrlconf.sh script after install?
6) once script is complete make sure refind_linux.conf file is in the root of the boot folder, on ESP partition.
7) reboot in EFI mode and check rEFInd menu for additional distro
No; that's got a few errors. There are multiple ways to do it, but one would be:
  1. Install first distribution in EFI mode.
  2. In first distribution, install rEFInd. This will set rEFInd as the default boot loader and create a /boot/refind_linux.conf file for it.
  3. Install second distribution in EFI mode. This will result in that distribution's EFI boot loader becoming the default.
  4. Boot to second distribution.
  5. Re-install rEFInd in the second distribution. This will reset rEFInd as the primary boot loader and will generate /boot/refind_linux.conf for that distribution.
There are many possible variants on this procedure. For instance, you could use BIOS/CSM/legacy mode to install the second distribution; but then you would not re-install rEFInd, but you would have to manually create a /boot/refind_linux.conf file or run mkrlconf.sh. I actually started to write a series of options, but the number of possible combinations just started to get unmanageable -- most of the steps I've outlined have alternatives, and for each alternative, the total number of possible paths doubles, so you've got 2 raised to some value possible ways of doing it. If you don't like the procedure I've just outlined or if it doesn't work, your best hope is to understand the principles well enough to find your own way.
Rod - I have the third OS installed. I installed Kali in CSM mode, as it would not boot in EFI. As you recommended, I have tried running the mkrlconf.sh file. I seem to be getting an error. Is there a specific place to put the file before I run it, or should I just force overwriting?

Code: Select all

./mkrlconf.sh
./mkrlconf.sh: 29: ./mkrlconf.sh: [[: not found
./mkrlconf.sh: 29: ./mkrlconf.sh: ==: not found
Existing /boot/refind_linux.conf found! Not overwriting!
To force overwriting, pass the --force option.
Edit: I ran the mkrlconf.sh with the --force option, and it said nothing (no error though). Rebooted into the BIOS, changed boot mode to EFI then booted. At this point it boots straight into Windows. If I do change it back to CSM, I end up in Grub, with the option to boot into Kali or Mint 16. I do not want to reinstall, because of your statement where I do not want to reinstall.
srs5694
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Re: New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

Post by srs5694 »

Try booting into Windows and following steps 1, 10, and 11 from this procedure. That should get rEFInd starting again in EFI mode.
YeeP

Re: New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

Post by YeeP »

srs5694 wrote:Try booting into Windows and following steps 1, 10, and 11 from this procedure. That should get rEFInd starting again in EFI mode.
Thanks, I will do that...

Before your reply above:
I didn't have a chance to tell you, but I did boot into windows, and then shut it back down. The next time I booted, I was in the rEFInd screen. The strange part is, I think the program is picking up at least one of the earlier version kernels, like it has in the past.

Here is what I see in the menu:

Boot Microsoft EFI boot
Boot boot\vmlinuz-3.11.0-14-generic <--Mint 16, I do not think this is the latest kernel in use
Boot boot\vnlinuz.3.12-kali1.amd64 <--- Kali 1.06


I believe that Mint listing is the old kernel that is sometimes placed in the boot partition, if I remember what you said in the past.

If I select the Kali selection, I get an error on screen.

Code: Select all

Starting vmlinuz-3.12-kali1-amd64
Using load operations 'ro root=/dev/disk/by - uuid/809768a8-8c1d-47de-b8cd-38522b6cefd0 initrd=/install/gtk/initrd.gz quiet'
Failed to open initrd file: install\gtk\initrd.gz
YeeP

Re: New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

Post by YeeP »

Well, it is definitely using rEFInd. My problem now is I get this error when I try to use Kali from the rEFInd Menu.

YeeP wrote: Here is what I see in the menu:

Boot Microsoft EFI boot
Boot boot\vmlinuz-3.11.0-14-generic <--Mint 16, I do not think this is the latest kernel in use
Boot boot\vnlinuz.3.12-kali1.amd64 <--- Kali 1.06

If I select the Kali selection, I get an error on screen.

Code: Select all

Starting vmlinuz-3.12-kali1-amd64
Using load operations 'ro root=/dev/disk/by - uuid/809768a8-8c1d-47de-b8cd-38522b6cefd0 initrd=/install/gtk/initrd.gz quiet'
Failed to open initrd file: install\gtk\initrd.gz
srs5694
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Re: New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

Post by srs5694 »

YeeP, I'm afraid that I don't know (or remember) enough about your configuration to offer extremely specific suggestions, at least not without confidence. For instance, I don't know if you're using auto-detection vs. manual boot stanzas, or how your partitions are laid out, or whether you're dual-booting with Windows and Fast Startup is active. You might want to check the following thread on the rEFInd forum, though:

https://sourceforge.net/p/refind/discus ... /fcb59e37/
YeeP

Re: New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

Post by YeeP »

srs5694 wrote:YeeP, I'm afraid that I don't know (or remember) enough about your configuration to offer extremely specific suggestions, at least not without confidence. For instance, I don't know if you're using auto-detection vs. manual boot stanzas, or how your partitions are laid out, or whether you're dual-booting with Windows and Fast Startup is active. You might want to check the following thread on the rEFInd forum, though:

https://sourceforge.net/p/refind/discus ... /fcb59e37/
Understood. That is me, and I figured that might be a better place for these types of questions. I will answer them all over on the rEFInd forum.


Thank you.
PA1FOX

Re: New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

Post by PA1FOX »

First of all, thanks to srs5694 for making the rEFInd available!

I am quite a beginner with Linux, just digging into Linux Mint, but have managed to install a dual boot setup with Windows 7 and Mint 16 in EFI setup. Grub is not used.

It did took some configuration setups and re-installs before I got the correct BIOS settings but it is working fine now, except for one thing.

Since I boot Windows 7 from rEFInd the USB ports stop working. USB mouse and keyboard are fine during boot, BIOS, rEFINd menu as well as in Linuxt Mint, but as soon as Windows 7 boots, USB stop working. I have got it 'sometimes' to work by connecting the USB devices to another USB port, Windows will see a new device, installs drivers and keyboard en mouse work again. But then, after the next reboot, they don't work anymore.

I am using a USB keyboard and mouse, so with USB not working this is rather inconvenient.... :)

Realizing this is the Linux Mint forum, this W7 question might be on the edge, but since it involves dual boot with Linux Mint and Windows 7 and I am a new Linux user getting my feet wet, I should think it is allowed.

My system has an ASUS Z87-K motherboard, 8GB RAM, I5 CPU and a 250GB SSD disk as well as a 2TB SATA disk.
Linux and W7 are both running from partitions on the SSD disk, the SATA is only used for data storage.

Thanx for any help or advice.

Alex
PA1FOX

Re: New EFI boot manager available: rEFInd

Post by PA1FOX »

PA1FOX wrote: I am using a USB keyboard and mouse, so with USB not working this is rather inconvenient.... :)
After getting an extra PS2 keyboard and mouse, I could navigate in Windows 7 and install the USB 3.0 drivers from CD. That made all USB work again.

Problem solved...!
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