Arch Linux

sorkaud

Member

Registered: 2015-07-15

Posts: 43

Can I delete /efi/EFI/EFI directory? difference between =grub and grub

I am currently running window arch dual boot

Side note : You may skip this part since this part is just my motivation to do this
I am currently considering moving my linux to portable ssd. So before that I wanted to clean up. I remembered there are weird directory /eft/EFI/EFI.

I guess this weird directory appear when I install grub again when I met an error after windows update (I don't know why but they destroy booting)
I guess I made a mistake when mounting? or selecting destination when I reinstall the grub. Could you give me a advice which one I can delete?
There is also weird =grub folder. I think I can delete them as well. Can I delete =grub folder inside /efi/EFI directory?
I mount my efi directory to /efi

Here is some infos

ls -l /efi

 total 2
drwxr-xr-x 8 root root 1024 Sep 28 23:03 EFI
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 1024 Jul 16  2023 System Volume Information   

ls -l /efi/EFI

total 6
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 1024 Oct 12  2023 arch
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 1024 Jul 16  2023 Boot
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 1024 Apr 15  2025 EFI
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 1024 Apr 15  2025 =GRUB
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 1024 Aug 23  2023 GRUB
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 1024 Sep 28 23:03 Microsoft

ls -l /efi/EFI/EFI

total 1
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 1024 Apr 15  2025 =GRUB

jl2

Member

From: 47° 18' N 8° 34' E

Registered: 2022-06-01

Posts: 1,301

Re: Can I delete /efi/EFI/EFI directory? difference between =grub and grub

What's the output of 'efibootmgr'?

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Why I run Arch? To "BTW I run Arch" the guy one grade younger.
And to let my siblings and cousins laugh at Arsch Linux...

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system72

Member

Registered: 2025-11-22

Posts: 572

Website

Re: Can I delete /efi/EFI/EFI directory? difference between =grub and grub

=grub sounds like some sort of conflict after trying to redo grub-install, the one without the = looks like where the original config/pe executable was held before redoing grub-install

a lot of stuff in that partition looks like dirt, EFI/EFI is probably where the pe executables are held

basically you can remove everything from 2023 safely

Can I delete =grub folder inside /efi/EFI directory?

no because thats where the grub pe executable is held without it you wont be able to use grub
nothing with =grub should be deleted

Last edited by system72 (2025-11-24 11:16:42)

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sorkaud

Member

Registered: 2015-07-15

Posts: 43

Re: Can I delete /efi/EFI/EFI directory? difference between =grub and grub

What's the output of 'efibootmgr'?

BootCurrent: 0017
Timeout: 0 seconds
BootOrder: 0017,0000,0002,0012,0001,0014,0015,0016,0018,0019,001A
Boot0000* Windows Boot Manager	HD(1,GPT,748a970e-c878-46e1-9fef-c7a39fc53e6d,0x800,0x32000)/\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi57494e444f5753000100000088000000780000004200430044004f0042004a004500430054003d007b00390064006500610038003600320063002d0035006300640064002d0034006500370030002d0061006300630031002d006600330032006200330034003400640034003700390035007d00000000050100000010000000040000007fff0400
Boot0001* GRUB	HD(1,GPT,748a970e-c878-46e1-9fef-c7a39fc53e6d,0x800,0x32000)/\EFI\GRUB\grubx64.efi
Boot0002* =GRUB	HD(1,GPT,748a970e-c878-46e1-9fef-c7a39fc53e6d,0x800,0x32000)/\EFI\=GRUB\grubx64.efi
Boot0010  Setup	FvFile(721c8b66-426c-4e86-8e99-3457c46ab0b9)
Boot0011  Boot Menu	FvFile(86488440-41bb-42c7-93ac-450fbf7766bf)
Boot0012* NVMe: SAMSUNG MZAL4256HBJD-00BL2             	PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x2,0x4)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/NVMe(0x1,00-25-38-E7-21-B3-5B-66){99191c00-d932-4e4c-ae9a-a0b6e98eb8a4}
Boot0013  UEFI Diagnostics	FvFile(1de8487e-0df5-6c66-56ca-83705aaf1f59)
Boot0014* ATA HDD:	VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,91af625956449f41a7b91f4f892ab0f600)
Boot0015* ATA HDD1:	VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,91af625956449f41a7b91f4f892ab0f601)
Boot0016* ATAPI CD:	VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,aea2090adfde214e8b3a5e471856a354)
Boot0017* USB HDD: Hynix PSSD X31	PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x8,0x1)/Pci(0x0,0x4)/USB(4,0){aa21e833-33af-47bc-89bd-419f88c50803}
Boot0018* PCI LAN:	VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,78a84aaf2b2afc4ea79cf5cc8f3d3803)
Boot0019* USB FDD:	VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,6ff015a28830b543a8b8641009461e49)
Boot001A* USB CD:	VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,86701296aa5a7848b66cd49dd3ba6a55)

So there has been chages. I successfully migrate my linux to hynix PSSD (boot 0017)

While doing that I tested boot order manually

Window boot manager ==> window directly
Samsung NVME ==> window directly
Grub ==> Grub rescue
=Grub ==> Real Grub

Funny thing is while I migrate I reinstall grub and in hynix PSSD the efi directory is crystal clear. (I didn't migrate efi partition, only root partition I migrate using clonezilla)
So basically problem is solved in some sense. However for the later reference, what will be simple solution for NVME? (just for curiosity)

Last edited by sorkaud (2025-11-25 06:38:46)

jl2

Member

From: 47° 18' N 8° 34' E

Registered: 2022-06-01

Posts: 1,301

Re: Can I delete /efi/EFI/EFI directory? difference between =grub and grub

So basically problem is solved in some sense. However for the later reference, what will be simple solution for NVME? (just for curiosity)

WDYM? how is it solved?

from efibootmgr: you can delete 'EFI/EFI' - no problem there.
grub: IDK what you did in the first place to create =grub, but apparently you solved it.

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Why I run Arch? To "BTW I run Arch" the guy one grade younger.
And to let my siblings and cousins laugh at Arsch Linux...

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