Arch Linux

johnywhy

Banned

Registered: 2019-08-01

Posts: 13

How to Install ipxe.efi to Bootable USB Drive?

Is it possible to install the ipxe.efi file to a bootable flash drive, and then boot it?

I can't find the procedure to do that anyplace. Doesn't seem to be covered by any replies in this thread. The linked pages don't explain either.
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=1856724

Reading the article below, it sounds like i want to create a bootable flash drive, using any capable too, without any OS.
And then, copy ipxe.efe to /efi/EFI/ipxe/ipxe.efi, where /efi is the mount point of the ESP. Meaning, the mount point of the USB drive? Unclear how i'm supposed to run findmnt for a USB drive.

$ findmnt /efi

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface#efibootmgr

But, seems like that will return the mount point of the active OS, not the mount point of the flash drive. Isn't that what i want?

i tried the steps here, but gives error on the `make` command.

make: *** No rule to make target 'bin/86_64-efi/ipxe.efi'.  Stop.

https://gist.github.com/AdrianKoshka/5b6f8b6803092d8b108cda2f8034539a
thx

Nothing here seemed relevant:
http://ipxe.org/docs

This seems the closest to a solution, which i'm trying to follow:
https://forum.ipxe.org/showthread.php?t … 03#pid9303

Now i'm going to attempt to burn an iso generated here, but seems like a roundabout approach.
http://rom-o-matic.eu/

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 24,076

Re: How to Install ipxe.efi to Bootable USB Drive?

You are moving the goal post with every step to a completely different attempt without  having determined  whether your original attempt would have worked (that might be due to misunderstandings of how to achieve the original goal, with which we can help, however jumping from attempt to attempt makes it impossible to properly help in any way) or not. That's useless, no one can help you when you constantly change your goal.

Going from the thread you replied to, and assuming you still originally wanted to start this in an UEFI fashion:  Copy that efi file to your ESP (or the USB for that matter...) (the mount point, nor the directory on the mountpoint, should matter for this, /efi is just an example, it is irrelevant so long that the file lands on the ESP in some shape or form) then either use the efibootmgr command to generate an entry, or go through your UEFI firmware settings on whether it has an option to manually start an executable. Whether your UEFI has an option for this depends on your EFI which is why I told you to disclose this information in the thread you replied to.

Also in general, post the exact outputs you are getting as you are potentially misinterpreting the outputs you are getting. As we don't sit in front of your computer, we need to see exactly what you are seeing in order to give proper suggestions. You could post the complete output of findmnt for example, there are pastebin clients for uploading terminal outputs.

Last edited by V1del (2019-08-02 10:58:52)

johnywhy

Banned

Registered: 2019-08-01

Posts: 13

Re: How to Install ipxe.efi to Bootable USB Drive?

without even having determined in the slightest whether your original attempt

What original attempt? There wasn't one, that i was aware of. As i said: "Unclear".

Copy that efi file to your ESP

You mean the USB drive?

either use the efibootmgr command to generate an entry

an entry on the USB drive?

or go through your UEFI firmware settings on whether it has an option to manually start an executable

i already know my computer can boot bootable USB drives. I know it is UEFI-capable. Does that indicate it can start an EFI executable?

Thx

Last edited by johnywhy (2019-08-02 11:01:52)

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 24,076

Re: How to Install ipxe.efi to Bootable USB Drive?

For a plain USB the process should be FAT32 GPT partition marked as an ESP, containing that file, to be "properly compliant" you might want to explicitly copy it over to $yourusbmount$/EFI/BOOT/BOOTx64.EFI

See https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/EF … _partition

Your firmware should give you an USB key boot option

Last edited by V1del (2019-08-02 13:14:33)

johnywhy

Banned

Registered: 2019-08-01

Posts: 13

Re: How to Install ipxe.efi to Bootable USB Drive?

Thx. How do you "mark it as ESP"?
I don't see anything in the article you linked about "mark it".
What i understand from your link is the drive should be formatted as GPT.

I tried to make a GPT with gdisk. I got something like "GPT with MBR protection" or some such. Don't know what i did wrong, but i noticed the efi file i had put onto the drive wasn't erased when i created new partitions with gdisk. My mistake, no doubt.

Then i tried with gnome disks. Steps:
- Format disk as GPT.
- Created new partition of type "Linux root". Tried it with "System Partition" check and not-checked.
- Kept default in "Mount Options" (i suspect i need to put something here?).
- Did NOT check on "Legacy BIOS bootable" (which i'm guessing means MBR?)

That drive also failed too boot.

When i turned off "Enable Legacy" in BIOS, then the drive was not listed in the BIOS boot menu.

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 24,076

Re: How to Install ipxe.efi to Bootable USB Drive?

The partition type should be one of the mentioned in the link depending on the tool you're using, this is what I mean with marked as ESP. Linux root is wrong, you don't want to make a linux partition but an ESP which can then be read by your UEFI.

Read this and the article linked therein: https://blog.uncooperative.org/blog/201 … partition/

Don't paraphrase, post hard data,

fdisk -l $usbdevice
tree $mountpointofpartition

johnywhy

Banned

Registered: 2019-08-01

Posts: 13

Re: How to Install ipxe.efi to Bootable USB Drive?

i changed the type to EFI in Disks. Still not visible in bios boot menu.
What's missing?

sudo fdisk -l /dev/sdd
[sudo] password for johny: 
Disk /dev/sdd: 7.22 GiB, 7746879488 bytes, 15130624 sectors
Disk model: USB DISK 2.0    
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt
Disk identifier: EEED49EA-EE2E-4600-AA16-0613E85B5485

Device     Start      End  Sectors  Size Type
/dev/sdd1   2048 15128575 15126528  7.2G EFI System

 tree  /run/media/johny/BLUE
/run/media/johny/BLUE
└── EFI
    └── BOOT
        └── BOOTx64.EFI

2 directories, 1 file

thx

Last edited by johnywhy (2019-08-02 14:30:37)