Talk:REFInd

add a paragraph with simple installation

rEFInd changed in 2017 which allows to run with a minimal configuration as it now auto-detects the img file fitting the kernel. with it a minimal, configuration less install is possible by:

# cp /usr/share/refind/refind_x64.efi /esp/EFI/Boot/bootx64.efi
# cp -r /usr/share/refind/drivers_x64/ /esp/EFI/Boot/
# echo 'extra_kernel_version_strings linux,linux-hardened,linux-lts,linux-zen,linux-git;' > /esp/EFI/Boot/refind.conf
# echo 'fold_linux_kernels false' >> /esp/EFI/Boot/refind.conf

can we add this? the upgrade works the same way. the refind-install script is more complex as it tries to change additional things which make it fail sometimes. --Soloturn (talk) 06:52, 19 March 2018 (UTC)

So you just add a few lines to refind.conf? It would be better to use this style in the wiki and say something like "Append the following lines to the refind configuration file":

esp/EFI/Boot/refind.conf

extra_kernel_version_strings linux
fold_linux_kernels false

Also, is it really recommended to copy refind_x64.efi to bootx64.efi. Isn't that used as a last resort if the other methods of adding an EFI entry don't work? -- Rdeckard (talk) 18:30, 31 March 2018 (UTC)

your first question Rdeckard: if you add a few lines? no, the refind.conf is created from scratch or overwritten if there, contains only these 2 lines. your second question, use the default location is the simple way, for refind, as well for systemd-boot mentioned in the documentation there. the main difference between systemd-boot and refind is that refind can auto-create the boot-loader menu, while one has to create a file containing the boot loaders for systemd-boot. the exception cases that there exists a more complex approach for refind having multiple boot managers in the efi partition should still be mentioned though. this then needs configuration. --Soloturn (talk) 19:01, 28 April 2018 (UTC)

The extra_kernel_version_strings option is mentioned in rEFInd#For kernels automatically detected by rEFInd, if needed, the fold_linux_kernels could also be added somewhere under rEFInd#Configuration. -- nl6720 (talk) 19:00, 31 March 2018 (UTC)

As previously discussed in User talk:nl6720#rEFInd, I am against mixing installation with configuration, they should remain separate. I also added the rEFInd#Without configuration section for the configuration without specifying kernel options.-- nl6720 (talk) 19:00, 31 March 2018 (UTC)

a section "without configuration" within the section "configuration" *rotfl* --Soloturn (talk) 19:01, 28 April 2018 (UTC)

I admit that the "Without configuration" section could use a better title. Any suggestions? -- nl6720 (talk) 11:50, 30 April 2018 (UTC)

let me make a proposal, which fixes the main problem: arch linux names the kernel and its fallback image different than most other linux distributions. refind-install ignores this fact. also refinds sample-conf file. we currently do not mention that copying the refind image and adding the 2 lines into refind.conf is the only thing needed. we do not mention that after running refind-install if would be good to add the 2 lines. --Soloturn (talk) 14:07, 29 December 2018 (UTC)

template:move at refind#tools: to uefi

There is a template:move refind#tools to uefi. I think the refind specific details should be left here, while everything else should be move to uefi. Aren't most, if not all, of these tools are not refind specific? Isn't this list of tools the most extensive list, if not the only list, in the wiki for such tools? Regid (talk) 15:05, 22 May 2019 (UTC)

Btrfs: Add same warning to Btrfs section as in the general configuration section

This warning is shown in the general configuration section (under refind#refind_linux.conf and refind#Manual_boot_stanzas).

Warning:

• loader and initrd paths are relative to the root of volume. If /boot is a separate partition (e.g. the ESP), the loader and initrd paths would be /vmlinuz-linux and /initramfs-linux.img, respectively.
• Use backslashes (\) as path separators in all quoted initrd parameters, otherwise the kernel may fail to find the initramfs image(s): EFI stub: ERROR: Failed to open file: /boot/initramfs-linux.img.
• If using Booster generated initramfs images, replace initramfs with booster in the initramfs files name. E.g. initrd /boot/booster-linux.img.

At least the first or first two points (can't confirm for the last one) are also relevant to the Btrfs section for both refind#Auto_detection as well as refind#Manual_boot_stanza but they're currently missing there.

Can I suggest adding it there as well?

I recently tried to install Arch with Btrfs, refind, and dual boot with Windows by reusing Windows' boot partition. This means the first point applied to me but it was missing in the Btrfs section. Since I thought what's shown in the Btrfs section is basically a special case of what's shown in the general configuration section, I did exactly as the Btrfs section says which didn't work for me.

The warning explains that, in my case, the initrd paths should be just
/vmlinuz-linux and /initramfs-linux.img
and not
/ROOT/boot/vmlinuz-linux and /ROOT/boot/initramfs-linux.img or subvolume\boot\initramfs-%v.img
as is currently shown in the Btrfs section.

It seems other people have stumbled over this step before as well, such as this reddit post.

I think adding this warning to the Btrfs section would make it more foolproof against people like me and more in line with the rest of the article.

Apologies for any formal mistakes, this is my first edit to the wiki.

Munzu (talk) 15:16, 28 November 2021 (UTC)

If you mount the ESP to /boot, then almost nothing from rEFInd#Btrfs subvolume support is relevant to you since you're not using the btrfs_x64.efi driver. You'd only need to set the rootflags=subvol= kernel parameter (if required). rEFInd#Btrfs subvolume support should be clarified to explain this. -- nl6720 (talk) 16:23, 28 November 2021 (UTC)