efibootmgr

What efibootmgr is

efibootmgr is a free, GPL-2.0 Linux command-line utility for modifying Intel EFI Boot Manager settings. It can create or delete boot entries, mark entries active or inactive, change persistent boot order, and set or remove the option used on the next boot. Users can adjust the boot-manager timeout and append binary arguments from a file or standard input. The tool can also create a network-boot entry for a named interface, including a PXE entry. Its documented interface works with EFI boot variables and devices. Before use, the efivarfs filesystem or legacy efivars kernel module must be loaded. The README describes use by operating-system installers and system administrators managing boot options or boot order. The project directs bug reports, feature requests, and patches to the Red Hat bootloader team through GitHub. efibootmgr supports UEFI and multiboot, provides boot-entry editing and boot-menu customization, and does not support BIOS. No external integrations are listed.

Who it suits

It suits Linux operating-system installers and system administrators who need command-line control over UEFI boot entries and ordering. Users must have the required EFI variable filesystem or kernel module loaded.

Getting started

1. Open the project at https://github.com/rhboot/efibootmgr.
2. Use a Linux system with UEFI support.
3. Load the efivarfs filesystem or legacy efivars kernel module before use.
4. Use its command-line options to manage EFI boot variables and devices.

Verdict

efibootmgr is a focused Linux utility for editing UEFI boot-manager variables from the command line. It covers entry management, ordering, timeout, and network-boot options, provided its prerequisite filesystem or module is available.