Arch Linux

pete_mav_mitchell

Member

From: Australia

Registered: 2017-07-09

Posts: 30

[SOLVED] Grub UEFI vendor specific

Hi guys,

I'm planning to install Arch soon, but I'm not 100% sure regarding the grub install on the UEFI partition as I have to jump through vendor specific hoops.
Laptop is a Lenovo ThinkPad 480.
From what I'm reading the h/w is tied in with Microsoft for vendor specific bootloader stuff.

I've done alot of reading, and have come up with the below steps with 2 options at the end.
Could someone confirm if all looks good, thanks.

Here are some of relevant steps prior to grub-install:

# Create the following partitions:
#/dev/nvme0n1p1		500MB	EFI System
#/dev/nvme0n1p2		500MB	Linux filesystem
#/dev/nvme0n1p3		476G	Linux LVM

# Format partitions:
mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/nvme0n1p1
mkfs.ext4 /dev/nvme0n1p2

# Mount
mkdir /mnt/boot
mount /dev/nvme0n1p2 /mnt/boot

# Fstab
genfstab -U -p /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

# Chroot
arch-chroot /mnt

# Install bootloader tools
pacman -S grub efibootmgr dosfstools os-prober mtools intel-ucode

grub_install time

# Create directory for the EFI partition (under /boot) and mount it
mkdir /boot/EFI
mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /boot/EFI

# Install grub (boot loader)
grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --bootloader-id=grub_uefi --recheck

# Generate the grub config file
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Go with one of these options:

Option 1.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Le … I_and_GRUB

EFI partition directory and file structure:
     /EFI
        /Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi
        /BOOT/bootx64.efi

# Windows .efi file
mkdir -p /boot/EFI/EFI/Microsoft/Boot
cp /boot/EFI/EFI/grub/grubx64.efi /boot/EFI/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi

# EFI fallback .efi file (as defined in the EFI standard.)
mkdir -p /boot/EFI/EFI/BOOT
cp /boot/EFI/EFI/grub/grub64.efi /boot/EFI/EFI/BOOT/bootx64.efi

Option 2.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GRUB#UEFI_systems

GRUB will be installed to esp/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI

grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --bootloader-id=grub_uefi --removable --recheck

Some diagnostics (I forgot to add earlier):
Currently running Ubuntu 18.04 (across entire disk - no Windows). Installation was straight-forward at the time.

efibootmgr -v

BootCurrent: 0001
Timeout: 0 seconds
BootOrder: 0001,001C,0017,0018,001A,0019,001B,0000,001D,001E,001F,0024,0002
Boot0000* Windows Boot Manager	HD(1,GPT,2eex800,0x82000)/File(\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi)WINDOWS.........x...B.C.D.O.B.J.E.C.T.=.{.9.d.e.a.8.6.2.c.-.5.c.d.d.-.4.e.7.0.-.a.c.c.1.-.f.3.2.b.3.4.4.d.4.7.9.5.}...B................
Boot0001* ubuntu	HD(1,GPT,ce3e1675-0x800,0x100000)/File(\EFI\ubuntu\shimx64.efi)
Boot0002* Linux-Firmware-Updater	HD(1,GPT,ce3e1675-0x800,0x100000)/File(\EFI\ubuntu\shimx64.efi)\.f.w.u.p.d.x.6.4...e.f.i...
...
...
...

Thanks!

Last edited by pete_mav_mitchell (2020-05-06 23:50:31)

pete_mav_mitchell

Member

From: Australia

Registered: 2017-07-09

Posts: 30

Re: [SOLVED] Grub UEFI vendor specific

I initially decided to go with Grub2 because I thought there were problems between systemd-boot and Timeshift - please refer to recent post https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=255429
There is no problems, sweet!

Also my system:
1. Will boot to UEFI only
2. Arch Linux only OS (no dual boot)
3. systemd-boot simply drives around vendor specific roadblocks
4. systemd-boot is already part of the system (no need to install another boot loader)

It makes sense to go with systemd-boot!!!

Issue resolved!