this post was submitted on 07 Jan 2024
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I use Arch btw


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[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 68 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (9 children)
[–] db2@lemmy.world 31 points 8 months ago (4 children)

GPT you mean. Linux can boot in a non-EFI machine that has GPT disk partitions.. Windows can't because it's dumb.

[–] Max_P@lemmy.max-p.me 33 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Yes but by doing so you're using the same principles as MBR boot. There's still this coveted boot sector Windows will attempt to take back every time.

What's nice about EFI in particular is that the motherboard loads the file from the ESP, and can load multiple of them and add them to its boot menu. Depending on the motherboard, even browse the ESP and manually go execute a .efi from it.

Which in turn makes it a lot less likely to have bootloader fuckups because you basically press F12 and pick GRUB/sd-boot and you're back in. Previously the only fix would be boot USB and reinstall syslinux/GRUB.

[–] taladar@sh.itjust.works 10 points 8 months ago

I just had a bug on both of my EFI computers where they wouldn't boot any more and a grub-install fixed it, apparently the regular update processes do not update the version on the ESP for some reason and my assumption is that it became incompatible with the modules in /boot

Adding an EFI Boot Entry for netboot.xyz after it happened on the first one really helped fix the second one though.

[–] frokie@lemmy.world 19 points 8 months ago

I’m not having an AI boot my computer!

[–] droans@lemmy.world 14 points 8 months ago (2 children)

GPT is a partitioning table. EFI is a bootloader firmware interface.

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[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 4 points 8 months ago

No I mean EFI. It is a much simpler than MBR.

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[–] pryre@lemmy.world 26 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Start using and efistub and never worry about boot loaders again!

[–] vox@sopuli.xyz 32 points 8 months ago (1 children)

systemd-boot is a reasonable compromise. i like it

[–] pryre@lemmy.world 9 points 8 months ago

The reality is that a bootloader will seemingly always be needed to account for difficult BIOS' and legacy setups (I'm looking at you, dual-booted Ubuntu 20.04).

[–] BeigeAgenda@lemmy.ca 7 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Naah I just disable secure boot altogether, then you don't have to worry about all that TPM security theatre.

[–] Vash63@lemmy.world 21 points 8 months ago (2 children)

You don't need secure boot to use EFI. It's better all around regardless of SB.

[–] BeigeAgenda@lemmy.ca 4 points 8 months ago

Fair enough I don't miss the old BIOS.

[–] 0x4E4F@sh.itjust.works 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Yeah, but Windows 11 needs it.

Can be disabled though. Easiest way - use Rufus when burning the USB.

Fun fact, you can also install Win11 in MBR mode, no UEFI needed whatsoever.

[–] Crack0n7uesday@lemmy.world 17 points 8 months ago

Do we really ever fix the bootstrap, or does the bootstrap fix us?

[–] krnl386@lemmy.ca 17 points 8 months ago (8 children)

Ah yes, simplicity. MBR, with all its limitations had one killer feature: it was extremely simple.

UEFI, as powerful as it is, is the opposite of simple. Many moving parts, so many potential failure points. Unfortunately, it seems like modern software is just that: more complex and prone to failure.

[–] 0x4E4F@sh.itjust.works 7 points 8 months ago

Exactly why old devices are so hard to break - they're incredibly simple.

To be honest, I see nothing wrong with MBR boot, it does the job, I'll use it till I can or till it doesn't do the job I want/need.

[–] rab@lemmy.ca 6 points 8 months ago

I work in IT for many years and I think your last sentence is very true. And is also why the industry is so lucrative haha

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[–] zaart@lemmy.tedomum.net 15 points 8 months ago (3 children)

I once fucked up my grub.cfg, wrote over the part needed to unencrypt. Had no idea what had happened. Was a fun night :)

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[–] BeigeAgenda@lemmy.ca 14 points 8 months ago

Was upgrading Devuan and something happened with grub-update, could be my btrfs subvol setup?

Anyway a rescue boot, chroot and grub-update later, and it's running great again.

[–] MapleEngineer@lemmy.world 14 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Nuke the boot loader and burn your compiled code directly onto the bare metal the way the designers intended.

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[–] prettydarknwild@lemmy.world 12 points 8 months ago (2 children)

i prefer EFI, MBR breaks easily and dual booting with it is horrible

[–] 0x4E4F@sh.itjust.works 5 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

I have litelarly never broken MBR boot while dual booting and I have done it for at least a decade now. Windows updates and everything, not once has MBR boot been broken for me.

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[–] Classy@sh.itjust.works 8 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I've been struggling with the boot loader for four days now and now my laptop boot loops and I can't even access my primary OS (still windows) and can only access Ubuntu via flash drive. So yeah this meme is too fucking on.

[–] 0x4E4F@sh.itjust.works 5 points 8 months ago

Chroot into the main Ubuntu partition from the live USB and update GRUB.

[–] WalJT@lemmy.world 8 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Honestly can't remember the last time I had a bootoader issue. Don't get me wrong, I've broken plenty of other things.

[–] themelm@sh.itjust.works 12 points 8 months ago (6 children)

Windows 7 used to thunderfuck grub at random every few updates just to keep everyone on their toes.

[–] flambonkscious@sh.itjust.works 4 points 8 months ago

Nice new verb you got there. Thunderfuck, indeed!

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[–] wooki@lemmynsfw.com 7 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (3 children)

I cant be the only person who noticed the Arch user dating a fury!?

I wouldnt go to bed either…oh yes “bootloader”.

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[–] onlinepersona@programming.dev 7 points 8 months ago (2 children)

MBR is so easy to understand. UEFI, has so many things to understand EFI, ESP, MOK, signing procedures and signing chains, ... it's just so darn complicated.

[–] cley_faye@lemmy.world 11 points 8 months ago (3 children)
  • Disable secureboot
  • Things just work

And in the end you just remove the need for a physical attacker to use whatever vulnerability there is in your EFI implementation anyway.

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[–] not_again@lemmy.world 4 points 8 months ago

I feel this.

Although my last bootloader is adventure was pretty easy...installed a completely separate drive for Linux and wanted to boot off of that drive (sdb). A bug in the Linux mint installer put the bootloader on my the windows drive instead (sda).

Was fairly straightforward to switch over though (change in fstab then installing grub). I use the bios boot selector (F11) for me to select either the win loader or my Linux mint efi.

Am switching over to Linux as primary driver. So tired of nags, ads, "switch to Edge", long updates, etc. love being able to ssh+x onto that (relatively beefy) box from my laptop and run ides and such.

[–] SameOldInternet@lemmy.world 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Started using UEFI booting with secure boot. Much easier to fix and work with.

[–] spez@sh.itjust.works 4 points 8 months ago

Can't relate to be honest, I have a life and use Fedora

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