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diff --git a/README_UEFI.TXT b/README_UEFI.TXT new file mode 100644 index 000000000..6584ec86a --- /dev/null +++ b/README_UEFI.TXT @@ -0,0 +1,148 @@ + +To use UEFI, or not to use UEFI? + +Unless your computer came with a preinstalled version of Windows that +requires UEFI, switching to Legacy Boot (aka, traditional BIOS) is an +option. Just switch to Legacy Boot in the UEFI menus. With most systems +you can get into the UEFI menu by pressing the ESC key as the system +boots. Then boot the Slackware installer and remove any existing +partitions using cgdisk to start over. You may use either the GPT +partitioning scheme, or the traditional MBR partitioning scheme, but +there's really no advantage to switching back to MBR if your system +already has a GPT partitioned hard drive. But... if you want to do +that, you can. To wipe out an existing GPT, use the gdisk command. +For example, to wipe /dev/sda: + + +gdisk /dev/sda +Enter 'x' to enable the entended options. +Enter 'z' to zap (wipe out) the existing GPT. +Answer 'Y' to add questions. + + +But I do want to use UEFI, and keep my existing Windows installation! + +Great! First things first. You'll need to enter the UEFI menus and +disable Secure Boot, since Slackware does not currently work if Secure +Boot is enabled. Windows will continue to work fine without it. + +Then, you will probably need to shrink your main Windows partition, since +otherwise it is unlikely that you'll have any free space to install Linux. +To do this, boot the machine into Windows. Move the mouse into the upper +right corner, and select the search function (magnifying glass icon). +Enter diskmgmt.msc to start up the Disk Management tool. The disk +partitions will be displayed as a bar chart at the bottom of the window. +Mouse over the main Windows partition (probably the largest NTFS partition) +and right click to bring up a menu. Select "Shrink Volume..." from this +menu. Shrink the partition to make enough free space for Slackware's root, +swap, and other partitions. Reboot the machine, and start the Slackware +installer from USB or DVD. You might have to hit ESC and select your boot +device from the boot manager menu. Now you're ready to install! + +NOTE: Rather than creating true free space, this resizing operation may +leave the extra space in the form of a generic (but allocated) partition. +Take note of the size of the "free space". When it comes time to partition +on Linux, you may need to delete this partition to make actual free space +before you can install. + +NOTE on starting the installer under UEFI: Depending on your UEFI firmware +and the video card in your system, you might need to start the installer +with KMS (basically a kernel-based video driver) in order to have text +output. If you boot and get screen garbage or no screen display then +try again using KMS. From the DVD, select the KMS menu option. From the +usbboot.img USB installer, hit TAB and then enter: kms.s + +OK, the installer is started, now what? + +The next step is partitioning your system. We'll assume that you want to +use GPT partitioning. If you are installing to a machine that has Windows +installed, then you'll already have an EFI System Partition (this is used +to store boot files on machines that use UEFI). To check this, you can use +gdisk. We'll assume that you'll be installing to /dev/sda. If you'll be +installing to some other device, use that in the command below. + +gdisk -l /dev/sda + +If you see a partition with Code EF00 listed, then you are good to go. +If not, you will need to make one. To do that, use cgdisk: + +cgdisk /dev/sda + +Select the free space from the menu using the up/down keys, and then select +"New" to make a new partition. Hit ENTER to accept the first sector. Then +enter 100M as the partition size. Give the new partition a hex code of EF00. +You make give the partition a name (such as "EFI System Partition"), or just +hit ENTER to use no name. A name is not required. + +At this point, you've got a GPT disk with an EFI System partition (with or +without Windows). The next step is to make the partitions for Linux. If +you're not already in cgdisk, start that up with "cgdisk /dev/sda" (or +whatever your install device is). Start by making a swap partition. A +good rule of thumb is to make the swap partition equal to the amount of RAM +in your machine. So, select the free space again, and then "New". Again, +hit ENTER to accept the default first sector for the new partition. Then, +enter an appropriate size, such as 2G. Enter the hex code for Linux swap, +which is 8200. Give the partition a name if you like. + +Make your root Linux partition (optionally if you leave some space you can make +any additional Linux partitions that you'll need). Select the free space, and +"New". Accept the default first sector by hitting ENTER. To make the +partition use the rest of the disk space, just hit ENTER again when asked for +a size. Or, you may choose a smaller size if you're planning to make more +Linux partitions. Hit ENTER to accept the default hex code, which is for a +Linux filesystem. Name the partition (if you like), or hit ENTER again. + +If you have any more free space and partitions to make, now is the time to +make them. + +When you're done, select "Write" to write the partition table changes to the +disk (verify by typing "yes" when prompted), hit a key to continue, and then +select "Quit" to leave cgdisk. + +Now you're ready to begin the installation by running the "setup" command. +You'll notice that after choosing your Linux partitions, the EFI System +Partition will be detected by setup and added to your /etc/fstab to be mounted +on /boot/efi when the system starts. + +After the packages are done installing, the other difference in a UEFI +installation is the setting up of the bootloader. + +First up, making a USB boot stick. The script to make the stick will add +a UEFI bootloader to it by default, and the stick will work with either UEFI +or regular BIOS. It is highly recommended that you make a USB boot stick so +that you have a way to boot your system easily. On some machines, adding a +boot entry to the UEFI boot menu doesn't work so well. So, make the stick. +When it saves you later on, you won't regret the effort. + +Since LILO doesn't work in pure UEFI mode, setup will recommend not installing +it. You can still install it if you like, though. It would only be useful if +you boot the machine in Legacy BIOS mode. If you're not planning to do that, +go ahead and skip LILO. + +Next, you'll get a menu prompting you to set up ELILO. ELILO is a bootloader +that is similar to LILO but that was written to support EFI machines. Go +ahead and tell the system to install ELILO, and it will set up ELILO in +/EFI/Slackware on your EFI System Partition, along with a kernel and an ELILO +configuration file. Next you'll be asked if you want to install a new menu +entry for your Slackware system in your UEFI firmware. Unless you are using +an Intel Mac, it is suggested that you do this. Without such an entry, you +would have to press ESC (or possibly DEL or a function key) to enter the UEFI +menu, use the firmware to "boot from a file", navigate through the EFI System +Partition directories to the /EFI/Slackware/bootx64.efi file and then select +it to boot Slackware. If you are using an Apple Intel Mac, DO NOT TRY TO +INSTALL A MENU ENTRY! It would probably brick your firmware requiring Apple +to service the machine to reflash the firmware. On other machines that use +UEFI, it is highly recommended to add the menu entry to make it easier to +chose an operating system at boot. + +If the menu entry doesn't work on your system, you can still force your +machine to boot ELILO automatically by copying the files in /EFI/Slackware on +your EFI System Partition to /EFI/BOOT on your EFI System Partition, and +renaming /EFI/BOOT/elilo.efi to /EFI/BOOT/BOOTX86.EFI. Before doing this, +you might want to back up any existing files in /EFI/BOOT. + +Once you've finished up the post installation menus, you'll be ready to reboot +your machine and enjoy your new Linux system. + +Have fun! + |