elilo(8) install EFI boot loader

SYNOPSIS

elilo [options]

DESCRIPTION

This manual page documents briefly the elilo command, which was written specifically for the Debian distribution to simplify configuring and using the elilo.efi bootloader.

There are two parts to elilo, the bootloader itself and this utility which installs or updates a bootload configuration.

The primary function of elilo is to copy files necessary for booting Debian GNU/Linux from the main filesystem to a subdirectory /EFI/debian on the boot partition. These include elilo.efi, elilo.conf, and the kernel and ramdisk images referenced by elilo.conf.

In addition, elilo can create a default configuration file, /etc/elilo.conf, and can invoke efibootmgr to create an entry in the EFI Boot Manager menu such that a system will autoboot in to Debian GNU/Linux on power up.

elilo requires a couple of extra parameters in elilo.conf that elio.efi does not currently support. These are needed so that a normal run of elilo with no parameters can find the elilo.efi binary and boot partition in order to rebuild it. They are:

install=<path to elilo.efi>
boot=<boot partition>

OPTIONS

This program follows the usual GNU command line syntax, with long options starting with two dashes (`-').
-b, --boot
set bootstrap partition device [ -b /dev/sda1 ]
-i, --install
pathname to the actual bootloader binary, default: /usr/{local/}lib/elilo/elilo.efi
-C, --config
use alternate configuration file [ -C config_file ]
--autoconf
auto-generate a /etc/elilo.conf. Typically only used during system installation. In normal use, an elilo.conf file already exists and will not be modified by elilo.
--efiboot
elilo auto configuration: create an efi boot manager entry for elilo. This option requires that the efibootmgr package also be installed.
--timeout
elilo auto configuration: sets the time elilo will wait for user input before booting default image default: 20 (2 seconds)
--image
elilo auto configuration: sets the path to the kernel image. default: /vmlinuz
--label
elilo auto configuration: sets the image label default: Linux
--root
elilo auto configuration: sets the root device default: /dev/sda3
--format
create a new FAT filesystem on the boot partition. Use this cautiously if you have more than one operating system installed, and they may be sharing the same EFI partition!
-v, --verbose
make elilo more verbose
--debug
print boring junk only useful for debugging
-h, --help
display this help and exit
-V, --version
output version information and exit

FILES

/etc/elilo.conf        
/usr/lib/elilo/elilo.efi

AUTHOR

The elilo program and this manual page were written by Richard Hirst <[email protected]> and Bdale Garbee <[email protected]> as additions to the elilo bootloader package from Stephane Eranian <[email protected]> for the Debian GNU/Linux system (but may be used by others).