Originally written: 3/14/2012; last Web page update:
-11/8/2015, referencing rEFInd 0.10.0
+9/10/2016, referencing rEFInd 0.10.4
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@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ href="mailto:rodsmith@rodsbooks.com">rodsmith@rodsbooks.com
@@ -212,11 +214,13 @@ href="mailto:rodsmith@rodsbooks.com">rodsmith@rodsbooks.com
I provide RPM and Debian package files for rEFInd; and starting with version 0.8.1, I'm maintaining an Ubuntu PPA for rEFInd. If you have a working RPM-based or Debian-based Linux installation that boots in EFI mode, using one of these files is likely to be the easiest way to install rEFInd: You need only download the file and issue an appropriate installation command. In some cases, double-clicking the package in your file manager will install it. If that doesn't work, a command like the following will install the RPM on an RPM-based system:
-
# rpm -Uvh refind-0.10.0-1.x86_64.rpm
+
# rpm -Uvh refind-0.10.4-1.x86_64.rpm
On a Debian-based system, the equivalent command is:
-
# dpkg -i refind_0.10.0-1_amd64.deb
+
# dpkg -i refind_0.10.4-1_amd64.deb
+
+
Either command produces output similar to that described for using the refind-install script, so you can check it for error messages and other signs of trouble. The package file installs rEFInd and registers it with the EFI to be the default boot loader. The script that runs as part of the installation process tries to determine if you're using Secure Boot, and if so it will try to configure rEFInd to launch using shim; however, this won't work correctly on all systems. Ubuntu 12.10 users who are booting with Secure Boot active should be wary, since the resulting installation will probably try to use Ubuntu's version of shim, which won't work correctly with rEFInd. The shim program provided with more recent versions of Ubuntu should work correctly.
@@ -227,7 +231,9 @@ href="mailto:rodsmith@rodsbooks.com">rodsmith@rodsbooks.com
$
sudo apt-get update
$
sudo apt-get install refind
-
The PPA version will update automatically with your other software, which you might or might not want to have happen. It's also built with GNU-EFI rather than with TianoCore. This last detail should have no practical effects, but it might be important if you've got a buggy EFI or if there's some undiscovered rEFInd bug that interacts with the build environment.
+
+
+
The PPA version asks if you want to install rEFInd to your ESP. (Chances are you want to respond affirmatively.) The PPA version will update automatically with your other software, which you might or might not want to have happen. It's also built with GNU-EFI rather than with TianoCore. This last detail should have no practical effects, but it might be important if you've got a buggy EFI or if there's some undiscovered rEFInd bug that interacts with the build environment.
Since version 0.6.3, the installation script makes an attempt to install rEFInd in a bootable way even if you run the script from a BIOS-mode boot, and therefore the RPM and Debian packages do the same. I cannot guarantee that this will work, though, and even if it does, some of the tricks that refind-install uses might not persist for long. You might therefore want to use mvrefind to move your rEFInd installation to another name after you boot Linux for the first time from rEFInd.
@@ -238,7 +244,7 @@ $
sudo apt-get install refind
-
If you're using Linux or Mac OS X, the easiest way to install rEFInd is to use the refind-install script. This script automatically copies rEFInd's files to your ESP or other target location and makes changes to your firmware's NVRAM settings so that rEFInd will start the next time you boot. If you've booted to OS X or in non-Secure-Boot EFI mode to Linux on a UEFI-based PC, refind-install will probably do the right thing, so you can get by with the quick instructions. If your setup is unusual, if your computer uses Secure Boot, or if you want to create a USB flash drive with rEFInd on it, you should read the extra instructions for this utility.
+
If you're using Linux or Mac OS X, the easiest way to install rEFInd is to use the refind-install script. This script automatically copies rEFInd's files to your ESP or other target location and makes changes to your firmware's NVRAM settings so that rEFInd will start the next time you boot. If you've booted to OS X or in non-Secure-Boot EFI mode to Linux on a UEFI-based PC, refind-install will probably do the right thing, so you can get by with the quick instructions. If your setup is unusual, if your computer uses Secure Boot, or if you want to create a USB flash drive with rEFInd on it, you should read the man page for this utility.
@@ -278,12 +284,6 @@ Copied rEFInd binary files
Copying sample configuration file as refind.conf; edit this file to configure
rEFInd.
-
-WARNING: If you have an Advanced Format disk, *DO NOT* attempt to check the
-bless status with 'bless --info', since this is known to cause disk corruption
-on some systems!!
-
-
Installation has completed successfully.
Unmounting install dir
@@ -324,9 +324,9 @@ Filesystem 1K-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
Type cd /boot/efi/EFI/refind to change into rEFInd's new directory on the ESP.
-
Type rm refind_ia32.efi to remove the IA32 binary if you're using an x86-64 (64-bit) system; or type rm refind_x64.efi to remove the x86-64 binary if you're using an x86 (32-bit) system. (Note that you must keep the version that's the correct bit width for your EFI; if you've installed a 32-bit Linux on a 64-bit PC with a 64-bit EFI, you'd keep refind_x64.efi.
+
You may optionally remove the rEFInd binaries for the CPU types you're not using. For instance, you might type rm refind_ia32.efi refind_aa64.efi to remove the IA32 and AARCH64 binaries if you're using an x86-64 (AMD64, X64) system.
-
Optionally, type rm -r drivers_ia32 to remove the x86 drivers from an x86-64 system, or rm -r drivers_x64 to remove the x86-64 drivers from a 32-bit x86 system. You may also want to remove some or all of the drivers for the architecture you are using. If you don't need them, they'll slow down the start process, and worse, loading unnecessary drivers can cause some systems to hang or interfere with the drivers you do need. See the page on drivers for more on this topic.
+
Similarly, you may optionally remove the drivers subdirectories for the CPU types you're not using. For instance, you could type rm -r drivers_ia32 drivers_aa64 to remove the x86 and ARM64 drivers from an x86-64 system. You may also want to remove some or all of the drivers for the architecture you are using. If you don't need them, they'll slow down the start process, and worse, loading unnecessary drivers can cause some systems to hang or interfere with the drivers you do need. See the page on drivers for more on this topic.
Rename the configuration file by typing mv refind.conf-sample refind.conf. Consult the Editing the rEFInd Configuration File page for information on how to adjust your options.
@@ -393,20 +393,22 @@ $
ioreg -l -p IODeviceTree | grep firmware-abi
/Volumes/ESP/efi/refind/ in your Terminal window after
changing into the rEFInd package's main directory.
-
Remove the file for the version of rEFInd you're not using, as in
- sudo rm Volumes/esp/efi/refind/refind_ia32.efi on a Mac
- with a 64-bit EFI or sudo rm
- /Volumes/ESP/efi/refind/refind_x64.efi on a Mac with a 32-bit
- EFI.
-
-
Optionally, remove the drivers directory for the architecture you're
- not using—/Volumes/ESP/efi/refind/drivers_ia32 or
- /Volumes/ESP/efi/refind/drivers_x64, as appropriate. You may
- also want to remove some or all of the drivers for the architecture you
- are using; if you don't need them, they'll slow down the start process.
- See the page on drivers for more on this
- topic. Note that Apple's firmware includes its own HFS+ driver, so the
- HFS+ driver provided with rEFInd is useless on Macs.
+
Remove the files for the versions of rEFInd you're not using, as in sudo rm Volumes/esp/efi/refind/refind_ia32.efi
+ Volumes/esp/efi/refind/refind_aa64.efi on a Mac with a 64-bit EFI or
+ sudo rm /Volumes/ESP/efi/refind/refind_x64.efi
+ Volumes/esp/efi/refind/refind_aa64.efi on a Mac with a 32-bit EFI.
+
+
Optionally, remove the drivers directories for the architectures you're not
+ using—/Volumes/ESP/efi/refind/drivers_ia32 or
+ /Volumes/ESP/efi/refind/drivers_x64, as appropriate. (No Mac uses
+ an ARM CPU, so you'd also remove
+ /Volumes/ESP/efi/refind/drivers_aa64 You may also want to remove
+ some or all of the drivers for the architecture you are using; if you don't
+ need them, they'll slow down the start process. See the page on drivers for more on this topic. Note that
+ Apple's firmware includes its own HFS+ driver, so the HFS+ driver provided
+ with rEFInd is useless on Macs.
If this is your first installation, type sudo mv
/Volumes/ESP/efi/refind/refind.conf-sample
@@ -473,7 +475,7 @@ $ ioreg -l -p IODeviceTree | grep firmware-abi
Type cd EFI\refind to change into the refind subdirectory
-You may want to selectively delete some of the drivers in the drivers_x64 or drivers_ia32 directory, depending on your architecture and needs. Unnecessary drivers will slow the rEFInd start process, and can even cause the drivers you need to not work or cause a system crash. See the page on drivers for more on this topic.
+You may want to selectively delete some of the drivers in the drivers_x64, drivers_ia32, or drivers_aa64 directory, depending on your architecture and needs. Unnecessary drivers will slow the rEFInd start process, and can even cause the drivers you need to not work or cause a system crash. See the page on drivers for more on this topic.
Type rename refind.conf-sample refind.conf to rename rEFInd's configuration file.
@@ -548,8 +550,8 @@ $ ioreg -l -p IODeviceTree | grep firmware-abi
Change to the directory in which rEFInd's files exist.
-Type cp refind_x64.efi fs0:\EFI\refind to
- copy the rEFInd binary file. (Adjust the name if you're using a 32-bit
+Type cp refind_x64.efi fs0:\EFI\refind to copy
+ the rEFInd binary file. (Adjust the name if you're using an IA32 or AARCH64
computer.)
Type cp refind.conf-sample
@@ -560,9 +562,9 @@ $ ioreg -l -p IODeviceTree | grep firmware-abi
rEFInd's icons.
Optionally, type cp -r drivers_x64
- fs0:\EFI\refind\ to copy rEFInd's 64-bit drivers. (You could
- instead copy the 32-bit drivers or limit yourself to just the drivers
- you need, of course.)
+ fs0:\EFI\refind\ to copy rEFInd's X64 drivers. (You could instead copy
+ the IA32 or AARCH64 drivers or limit yourself to just the drivers you need,
+ of course.)
Type fs0:, if necessary, to change to the
ESP.
@@ -741,7 +743,11 @@ $
ioreg -l -p IODeviceTree | grep firmware-abi
install the update to the ESP; you might need to manually re-run the
installation script. Consult your distribution's documentation for
details. My Ubuntu PPA will automatically run
refind-install after
- the package is installed.
+ the package is installed
if you selected the option to install
+ to the ESP; if you opted to skip this step, my PPA version will
+ continue to do so at every update, leaving you to manually update the
+ copy on the ESP. (You can change this behavior by typing
sudo dpkg-reconfigure refind.)
@@ -991,11 +997,11 @@ $
ioreg -l -p IODeviceTree | grep firmware-abi
The easiest way to restore the standard OS X boot loader on a Mac is not to uninstall rEFInd; it's to bypass it. This can be accomplished with the Startup Disk item in the System Preferences panel:
-
-
Select your startup disk (Macintosh HD OS X, 10.10.1 in this example) and then click Restart. The computer should reboot into OS X, bypassing rEFInd.
+
Select your startup disk (Macintosh HD OS X, 10.11.3 in this example) and then click Restart. The computer should reboot into OS X, bypassing rEFInd.
I recommend stopping here, because the procedure for completely removing rEFInd from a Mac depends on your installation method and tends to be challenging for many Mac users, who are unfamiliar with the necessary command-line tools. Basically, you must reverse the steps described earlier, in Installing rEFInd Manually Using Mac OS X:
@@ -1096,7 +1102,7 @@ may work, although I've not attempted this.
Go to the main rEFInd page
-
Comments on rEFInd and OS X 10.10 (Yosemite)
+
Preventing and Repairing Boot Coups
Return to my main Web page.