Re: EFI for Dummies?

Hello Thomas,

On 21/06/2013 15:41, Thomas Altfather Good wrote:
> Hello.
>
> I am running slackware64-current on an HP Pavilion p2-1334 dual boot machine.
>
> I'm not into bleeding edge but the 64 bit 14.1 (aka current) is the
> only slackver that sports the EFI directory, that I'm aware of. I
> tried stable version to no avail. Current seems to be viable.
>
> Here are the details -
>
> The HP p2, afflicted with windows 8, has been modified:
> 1) recovery partition removed, /dev/sda3 split and /dev/sda4 formatted as ext4
> 2) legacy bios support turned on, secure boot off, fast boot off, post
> messages on - atapi cd/dvd drive successfully used to install slack on
> sda4
> 3) usb boot stick set to boot /dev/sda4 works fine, win8 boots when
> stick is removed (a boot menu appears but win8 is the lone option)
> 4) X working, after initial hiccup atheros NIC working fine...in
> general slack 14.1 appears to be a nice version
>
> I can seen now that the current /boot directory has several elilo
> efi-related files that got planted during install.
>
> I also have a src tarball for the efibootmgr, I am going to build it now.
>
> Can any kind soul tell me what I must do (beginning with "remove the
> shrinkwrap") to:
>
> 1) properly configure (and install?) elilo and get it operational
> 2) get the p2 to dual boot
>
> Many, many thanks. I have researched this and every doc on the web
> contradicts its siblings. I am confused. I do know that I have zero
> interest in grub(2) - I've been using lilo since Slack 2.3 and really
> want to use elilo, esp. as I already have it in place.
>
> Once I get this going I intend to write the process up so that any of
> my fellow nitwits out there don't have to trip over themselves as much
> as I have.
>
> In terms of prep, I have a bottle of Laphroaig, a pack of Camels,
> aspirin, and a Slayer CD at the ready (God Hates Us All).
>
> Please advise and thanks for your patience and assistance.
>
> TAG

Unfortunately I can't help you as my old Thinkpad T61 do not have UEFI (did I write: hopefully ?), but I'm very interested in the outcome and I think that Pat would be as well.

Would you come up with a simple procedure to  configure elilo for Slackware-current (once installed), I guess that Pat could use that to write a how-to he could include in Slackware 14.1, if not an 'eliloconfig' script similar to 'liloconfig'.

I can EFI boot an ISO image of Slackware-current in a VirtualBox VM but then my laptop is so much overheating that it wouldn't be prudent to run it long enough to actually install it.

So if you don't mind, I suggest you tell you adventures in EFI land in a thread in the Slackware forum @ linuxquestions.org.

Thanks in advance,

Didier

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