href="mailto:rodsmith@rodsbooks.com">rodsmith@rodsbooks.com</a></p>
<p>Originally written: 3/14/2012; last Web page update:
-1/8/2013, referencing rEFInd 0.6.4</p>
+5/13/2013, referencing rEFInd 0.6.11</p>
<p>I'm a technical writer and consultant specializing in Linux technologies. This Web page is provided free of charge and with no annoying outside ads; however, I did take time to prepare it, and Web hosting does cost money. If you find this Web page useful, please consider making a small donation to help keep this site up and running. Thanks!</p>
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-</table>
+</table>
<hr />
<div style="float:right; width:55%">
+<p><b>Don't be scared by the length of this page!</b> Only portions of this page apply to any given user, and most people can install rEFInd from an RPM or Debian package in a matter of seconds or by using the <tt>install.sh</tt> script in minute or two.</p>
+
<p>Once you've obtained a rEFInd binary file, you must install it to your computer's ESP (or conceivably to some other location). The details of how you do this depend on your OS and your computer (UEFI-based PC vs. Macintosh). The upcoming sections provide details. See the Contents sidebar to the left for links to specific installation procedures. For most Linux users, an RPM or Debian package is the best way to go. If your Linux system doesn't support these formats, though, or if you're running OS X, using the <tt>install.sh</tt> script can be a good way to go. If you're using Windows, you'll have to install manually.</p>
<p class="sidebar" style="width:95%"><b>Important:</b> A rEFInd zip file, when uncompressed, creates a directory called <tt>refind-<i>version</i></tt>, where <tt><i>version</i></tt> is the version number. This directory includes a subdirectory called <tt>refind</tt> that holds the boot loader, along with another that holds documentation, as well as miscellaneous files in <tt>refind-<i>version</i></tt> itself. When I refer to "the <tt>refind</tt> directory" on this page, I mean the directory with that precise name, not the <tt>refind-<i>version</i></tt> directory that is its parent.</p>
<li class="tight"><a href="#addons">Installing Additional Components</a></li>
-<li class="tight"><a href="#sluggish">Fixing a Sluggish Macintosh Boot</a></li>
+<li class="tight"><a href="#sluggish">Fixing a Sluggish Macintosh Boot</a>
+
+ <ul>
+
+ <li class="tight"><a href="#moving">Moving rEFInd to an HFS+ Volume</a></li>
+
+ <li class="tight"><a href="#fallback">Using the Fallback Filename</a></li>
+
+ <li class="tight"><a href="#clearing">Clearing the NVRAM Entries</a></li>
+
+ </ul></li>
<li class="tight"><a href="#uninstalling">Uninstalling rEFInd</a></li>
<h2>Installing rEFInd Using an RPM or Debian Package File</h2>
</a>
-<p>Beginning with version 0.6.2, I've included an RPM package file for rEFInd, and I quickly updated this (in 0.6.2-2) to be more sophisticated and to include a Debian package file, as well. 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:</p>
+<p>Beginning with version 0.6.2, I've included RPM and Debian package files 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:</p>
-<pre class="listing"># <tt class="userinput">rpm -Uvh refind-0.6.2-2.x86_64.rpm</tt></pre>
+<pre class="listing"># <tt class="userinput">rpm -Uvh refind-0.6.11-1.x86_64.rpm</tt></pre>
<p>On a Debian-based system, the equivalent command is:</p>
-<pre class="listing"># <tt class="userinput">dpkg -i refind_0.6.2-2_amd64.deb</tt></pre>
+<pre class="listing"># <tt class="userinput">dpkg -i refind_0.6.11-1_amd64.deb</tt></pre>
<p>Either command produces output similar to that described for <a href="#installsh">using the <tt>install.sh</tt> script,</a> 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.</p>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><tt>--yes</tt></td>
- <td>This option causes the script to assume a <tt>Y</tt> input to every yes/no prompt that can be generated under certain conditions, such as if you specify <tt>--shim</tt> but <tt>install.sh</tt> detects no evidence of a Secure Boot installation. This option is intended mainly for use by scripts such as those that might be used as part of an installation via an RPM or Debian package. <b>Note:</b> I introduced this option with the 0.6.2-2 incremental release, which was primarily an update of the 0.6.2 RPM package; it's not yet available in the mainline 0.6.2 version.</td>
+ <td>This option causes the script to assume a <tt>Y</tt> input to every yes/no prompt that can be generated under certain conditions, such as if you specify <tt>--shim</tt> but <tt>install.sh</tt> detects no evidence of a Secure Boot installation. This option is intended mainly for use by scripts such as those that might be used as part of an installation via an RPM or Debian package.</td>
</tr>
</table>
<li>Type <b><tt>xcopy /E refind S:\EFI\refind\</tt></b> to copy the <tt>refind</tt> directory tree to the ESP's <tt>EFI</tt> directory. If you omit the trailing backslash from this command, <tt>xcopy</tt> will ask if you want to create the <tt>refind</tt> directory. Tell it to do so.</li>
-<li>Type <b><tt>cd S:</tt></b> to change to the ESP.</li>
+<li>Type <b><tt>S:</tt></b> to change to the ESP.</li>
<li>Type <b><tt>cd EFI\refind</tt></b> to change into the <tt>refind</tt> subdirectory</li>
<h2>Installing Additional Components</h2>
</a>
-<p>rEFInd includes the ability to launch any EFI program; however, rEFInd detects only certain programs. These include boot loaders in traditional locations and a handful of other programs. To launch these other programs, you must download and install them separately from rEFInd:</p>
+<p>rEFInd includes the ability to launch any EFI program; however, rEFInd detects only certain programs. These include boot loaders in traditional locations and a handful of other programs. To launch most of these other programs, you must download and install them separately from rEFInd:</p>
<ul>
Linux wiki,</a> and on other sites; try a Web search if the shell you
find doesn't work to your satisfaction.</li>
-<li><b><tt>gptsync.efi</tt></b>—This program creates a <a
+<li><b><tt>gptsync.efi</tt> or <tt>gptsync_<tt
+ class="variable">arch</tt>.efi</tt></b>—This program creates a <a
href="http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/hybrid.html">hybrid MBR</a> from
your regular GPT disk. A hybrid MBR is a dangerous hack that enables
Windows and OS X to coexist on a Macintosh disk. If you're using a
- UEFI-based PC, a hybrid MBR will be useless at best, so you shouldn't
- create one, and it's safest to not install <tt>gptsync.efi</tt>. If
- you're using a hybrid MBR to enable dual-booting Windows and OS X on a
- Mac, though, placing this program file in the ESP's or Mac boot
- partition's <tt>efi/tools</tt> directory will enable you to regenerate
- your hybrid MBR should some other tool convert the MBR to a standard
- protective MBR. You can obtain the file from the <a
- href="http://refit.sourceforge.net">original rEFIt package.</a></li>
+ UEFI-based PC, a hybrid MBR is likely to be useless at best, so you
+ shouldn't create one, and it's safest to not install
+ <tt>gptsync.efi</tt>. If you're using a hybrid MBR to enable
+ dual-booting Windows and OS X on a Mac, though, placing this program
+ file in the ESP's or Mac boot partition's <tt>EFI/tools</tt> directory
+ will enable you to regenerate your hybrid MBR should some other tool
+ convert the MBR to a standard protective MBR. You can obtain the file
+ from the <a href="http://refit.sourceforge.net">original rEFIt
+ package,</a> or beginning with rEFInd 0.6.9, an updated version is
+ included in the rEFInd package. The rEFInd version of <tt>gptsync_<tt
+ class="variable">arch</tt>.efi</tt> uses a more sophisticated algorithm
+ for determining what GPT partitions to duplicate in the MBR and it
+ includes additional safeguards to minimize the risk of damage should
+ you run the program on a disk that might have been damaged. The
+ original rEFIt version of the program usually goes by the filename
+ <tt>gptsync.efi</tt>, whereas the updated rEFInd version ships with an
+ architecture code, as in <tt>gptsync_x64.efi</tt> or
+ <tt>gptsync_ia32.efi</tt>. The rEFInd <tt>install.sh</tt> script
+ installs <tt>gptsync_<tt class="variable">arch</tt>.efi</tt> when run
+ under OS X, but not when run on Linux. In addition to installing the
+ program, you must edit <tt>refind.conf</tt>, uncomment the
+ <tt>showtools</tt> line, and add <tt>gptsync</tt> to its list of
+ options.</li>
<li><b>Drivers</b>—You can install drivers to extend the capabilities
of the EFI. rEFInd ships with filesystem drivers for ext2fs, ext4fs, and
<h2>Fixing a Sluggish Macintosh Boot</h2>
</a>
-<p>I've received a few reports of a sluggish boot process (a delay of about 30 seconds before starting rEFInd) on some Macs after installing rEFInd. I've been unable to replicate this problem myself, and its true cause remains mysterious to me. I have found <a href="http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=12256273&postcount=200">a Web forum post</a> describing a possible fix. Be aware, though, that this procedure involves using the <tt>efibootmgr</tt> utility on Macs, which has been known to damage the firmware on some Macs. Other reports indicate that this problem has been fixed with 3.3.0 and later kernels. Thus, I present this information cautiously and with a strong "use at your own risk" warning. If you care to proceed, I recommend you update your Linux kernel to the latest possible version and then proceed as follows:</p>
+<p>I've received a few reports of a sluggish boot process (a delay of about 30 seconds before starting rEFInd) on some Macs after installing rEFInd. I've been unable to replicate this problem myself, and its true cause remains mysterious to me. I have found three possible solutions, though: <a href="#moving">moving rEFInd to an HFS+ volume,</a> <a href="#fallback">using the fallback filename,</a> and <a href="#clearing">clearing NVRAM entries.</a></p>
+
+<a name="moving">
+<h3>Moving rEFInd to an HFS+ Volume</h3>
+</a>
+
+<p>Most of the reports of sluggish Macintosh boots I've seen note that the user installed rEFInd to the ESP rather than to the OS X root partition. Some users have reported that re-installing rEFInd to the OS X root partition clears up the problem. This is obviously a straightforward solution to the problem, if it works. Note that rEFInd can launch boot loaders that are stored on any partition that the EFI can read no matter where it's installed; therefore, you'll still be able to launch boot loaders stored on the ESP (or elsewhere) if you install it in this way.</p>
+
+<p>The biggest drawback to this approach is that you won't be able to edit the rEFInd configuration file or move rEFInd-related binaries from an EFI shell if you install it in this way, since Apple's HFS+ driver for EFI is read-only. (The same is true of rEFInd's HFS+ driver, so it won't help you overcome this limitation.) You may also be limited in making changes to your rEFInd configuration from Linux or other OSes, too, since Linux's HFS+ drivers disable write support by default on volumes with an active journal. You can force write access by using the <tt>force</tt> option to <tt>mount</tt>; however, this procedure is noted as being risky in the Linux HFS+ documentation, so I don't recommend doing this on a regular basis. As a compromise, you might try creating a small non-journaled HFS+ volume that's dedicated to holding rEFInd. You could even mount it as the Linux <tt>/boot</tt> partition, in which case it would also hold the Linux kernel and related files. You'll need to install rEFInd manually if you try this.</p>
+
+<a name="fallback">
+<h3>Using the Fallback Filename</h3>
+</a>
+
+<p>I've received one report that installing rEFInd to the ESP using the fallback filename (<tt>EFI/BOOT/bootx64.efi</tt> on most systems, or <tt>EFI/BOOT/bootia32.efi</tt> on very old Macs) can work around the problem.</p>
+
+<a name="clearing">
+<h3>Clearing the NVRAM Entries</h3>
+</a>
+
+<p>The first is <a href="http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=12256273&postcount=200">a Web forum post</a> that describes a possible fix. Be aware, though, that this procedure involves using the <tt>efibootmgr</tt> utility on Macs, which has been known to damage the firmware on some Macs. Other reports indicate that this problem has been fixed with 3.3.0 and later kernels. Thus, I present this information cautiously and with a strong "use at your own risk" warning. If you care to proceed, I recommend you update your Linux kernel to the latest possible version and then proceed as follows:</p>
<ol>