From owner-freebsd-current@freebsd.org Sat Jan 19 09:52:31 2019 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-current@mailman.ysv.freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2610:1c1:1:606c::19:1]) by mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 59ADC14A091C for ; Sat, 19 Jan 2019 09:52:31 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from lev@FreeBSD.org) Received: from onlyone.not-for.work (onlyone.not-for.work [IPv6:2a01:4f8:201:6350::2]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id EBBB870E8A for ; Sat, 19 Jan 2019 09:52:30 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from lev@FreeBSD.org) Received: from lion.home.serebryakov.spb.ru (unknown [IPv6:2001:470:923f:1:1539:1ac0:163a:36a4]) (Authenticated sender: lev@serebryakov.spb.ru) by onlyone.not-for.work (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id C18D48DEB; Sat, 19 Jan 2019 12:52:29 +0300 (MSK) Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2019 12:52:28 +0300 From: Lev Serebryakov Reply-To: Lev Serebryakov Organization: FreeBSD Message-ID: <912985968.20190119125228@serebryakov.spb.ru> To: Warner Losh , Emmanuel Vadot CC: "Rodney W. Grimes" , FreeBSD Current Subject: Re: GPT boot has less features than legacy MBR-based one (Was: UEFI, loader.efi and /boot.config) In-Reply-To: References: <201901181935.x0IJZ4tX057034@pdx.rh.CN85.dnsmgr.net> <49056065-1e62-f0dc-c7a4-8c358de4266e@FreeBSD.org> <20190118221013.81c8729c7bf17038e1823b52@bidouilliste.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Rspamd-Queue-Id: EBBB870E8A X-Spamd-Bar: -- Authentication-Results: mx1.freebsd.org X-Spamd-Result: default: False [-2.98 / 15.00]; local_wl_from(0.00)[FreeBSD.org]; NEURAL_HAM_MEDIUM(-1.00)[-1.000,0]; NEURAL_HAM_SHORT(-0.98)[-0.979,0]; ASN(0.00)[asn:24940, ipnet:2a01:4f8::/29, country:DE]; NEURAL_HAM_LONG(-1.00)[-1.000,0] X-BeenThere: freebsd-current@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.29 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussions about the use of FreeBSD-current List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2019 09:52:31 -0000 Hello Warner, Saturday, January 19, 2019, 12:17:29 AM, you wrote: > Also most UEFI BIOSes I've used (which isn't a lot) allow one to choose > which BootXXXX variable to use to boot. Some will even create new BootXXXX > variables that they use when you choose a raw device to boot from. I have never seen such item in BIOS Setup. I've checked two MoBos now (one is Supermicro X9something and other is brand-new Goldmont-based Chinese MiniPC like Intel NUK): both have one knob in setup about boot type (Legacy/UEFI/Auto) and if UEFI is selected, Supermicro MoBo (but not Chinese one) could be booted to "UEFI Console" which is not documented anywhere. Ok, I've checked my desktop Asus Z170-A, but it is graphical and I could not find or understand anything in this home-rown UI with crazy-fast mouse. I have never seen documentation in MoBo manuals about such features, BTW. And, again, GPT/Legacy still left behind, and it could be very useful for small systems, as sometimes 4 partitions of MBR is not enough (2 code partitions + 1 config partition + 1 persistent data partition, and SOMETIMES, there is place for swap, for example, but MBR is full already). > But this whole thread tells me we need to rewrite the boot section of our handbook. Oh, yes, please! -- Best regards, Lev mailto:lev@FreeBSD.org