Uefi - The Unintelligible Exasperating Firmware Interface
Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 8:12 am
I have no idea how my boot system works, I don't even know if it is Uefi or legacy bios, I think it is Uefi for the following reasons:
Quote from linlap.com re this machine.
Because it is impossible to install anything else in Uefi mode and impossible to run the command efibootmgr.
Example: This Mint14 disk is clearly a Uefi capable disk
But when booting from the disk and running ls /sys/firmware the efi directory does not exist, which in turn means the dvd is booted in legacy mode, which in turn means that if I installed from it, it would install in legacy mode.
So simple, go into your bios settings and enable Uefi.
My bios settings screen has no entries even remotely relating to Uefi. I can't take screenshots of my bios settings so you will have to believe me on this.
Why not look in your motherboard manual for details of how to enable/disable Uefi?
I have two words in answer to that - find one!
Here are all the details I have of my motherboard (courtesy of hwinfo I think it was).
So why not boot with Refind and use it to boot the dvd in Uefi mode?
Because Refind doesn't see any efi entries on my dvd drive, in fact it doesn't see any entries on my dvd drive (or the shell entry in my ESP).
That is because you haven't configured refind.conf.
Next problem.
It is impossible to modprobe efivars as it is already built in to the kernel.
If anyone would like to have a stab at explaining all that then good luck to you, it has me completely beaten. Obviously my motherboard has the Uefi implementation from hell, but I would love to be able to do three things, run efibootmgr, boot shell.efi and install other distros in Uefi mode.
Oh yes, and I would also like to understand WIHIH but I think that is going to be a step too far!
I have put this under 'Other distros' as the tests were done on Ubuntu, but it equally applies to Mint.
Code: Select all
apt-cache policy grub-efi-amd64
grub-efi-amd64:
Installed: 2.00-7ubuntu11
Candidate: 2.00-7ubuntu11
Code: Select all
ls /sys/firmware
acpi/ efi/ memmap/
Code: Select all
dmesg | grep EFI
[ 0.000000] efi: EFI v2.31 by Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
[ 0.000000] ACPI: UEFI 00000000dafe6000 0003E (v01 FUJ PC 00000001 FUJ 00000001)
[ 0.000000] ACPI: UEFI 00000000dafe5000 00042 (v01 PTL COMBUF 00000001 PTL 00000001)
[ 0.000000] ACPI: UEFI 00000000dafe3000 00292 (v01 FUJ PC 00000001 FUJ 00000001)
[ 0.538153] fb0: EFI VGA frame buffer device
[ 0.753276] EFI Variables Facility v0.08 2004-May-17
[ 18.129624] fb: conflicting fb hw usage inteldrmfb vs EFI VGA - removing generic driver
Code: Select all
find /boot/efi/EFI -iname "*.efi"
/boot/efi/EFI/ubuntu/grubx64.efi
/boot/efi/EFI/mint/grub.efi
/boot/efi/EFI/Boot/bootx64.efi
/boot/efi/EFI/manjaro_grub/grubx64.efi
/boot/efi/EFI/manjaro_grub/grubx64_standalone.efi
/boot/efi/EFI/tools/Shell.efi
Excerpt from a boot-repair scriptNotes
This is an UEFI system.
So that should be enough right? Why would it not be a Uefi install?/boot/efi detected in the fstab of sda2: UUID=DDE9-FCDA (sda1)
ls: cannot access : No such file or directory
=================== UEFI/Legacy mode :
BIOS is EFI-compatible, and is setup in EFI-mode for this installed-session.
Because it is impossible to install anything else in Uefi mode and impossible to run the command efibootmgr.
Example: This Mint14 disk is clearly a Uefi capable disk
Code: Select all
find /media/LXFDVD167/Mint64/ -iname "*.efi"
/media/LXFDVD167/Mint64/EFI/BOOT/BOOTx64.EFI
/media/LXFDVD167/Mint64/EFI/BOOT/grubx64.efi
So simple, go into your bios settings and enable Uefi.
My bios settings screen has no entries even remotely relating to Uefi. I can't take screenshots of my bios settings so you will have to believe me on this.
Why not look in your motherboard manual for details of how to enable/disable Uefi?
I have two words in answer to that - find one!
Here are all the details I have of my motherboard (courtesy of hwinfo I think it was).
Try for yourself if you like - a lot of those entries are 'googlewhacks'!Board Info: #18
Manufacturer: "FUJITSU"
Product: "FJNBB1C"
Serial: "578703-01R2704024"
Type: 0x0a (Motherboard)
Features: 0x01
Hosting Board
So why not boot with Refind and use it to boot the dvd in Uefi mode?
Because Refind doesn't see any efi entries on my dvd drive, in fact it doesn't see any entries on my dvd drive (or the shell entry in my ESP).
That is because you haven't configured refind.conf.
Code: Select all
grep -i scanfor /media/sdc1-usb-USBest_Technolog/refind/refind.conf
scanfor internal,external,optical,manual
Code: Select all
sudo efibootmgr
[sudo] password for ubuntu:
Fatal: Couldn't open either sysfs or procfs directories for accessing EFI variables.
Try 'modprobe efivars' as root.
Code: Select all
sudo modprobe efivars
ubuntu@fujitsu ~>
Code: Select all
grep -i vars /usr/src/linux-headers-3.5.0-24-generic/.config
CONFIG_EFI_VARS=y
Oh yes, and I would also like to understand WIHIH but I think that is going to be a step too far!
I have put this under 'Other distros' as the tests were done on Ubuntu, but it equally applies to Mint.