EFI3M, the EFI Multi-boot Menu Maker
 

EFI3M, the EFI Multi-boot Menu Maker, is available here:
https://github.com/DidierSpaier/EFI3M

This shell script builds a menu with entries for all accessible EFI OS boot loaders at time of running it, that will be presented at next startup, stored in an internal EFI System Partition and/or written on an USB stick, making it a rescue multi-boot media.

How to use it?
1) Download the script EFI3M
2) Make it executable:
chmod 0755 EFI3M
3) Run it as root (use sudo for some distributions):
./EFI3M or "sh EFI3M"

It should work on any Linux distribution with GRUB2 installed (used to build the menu as an EFI application).

The menu can include entries to start any Linux distribution and generally any system with an EFI boot loader: BSD distribution, Mac OS, Microsoft Windows or other installed on any system connected to the medium: hard disk, SSD, NVMe, ..

To help the visually impaired, the boot menu optionally plays a sound at startup, a tune of n sounds when starting the boot entry numbered n from
the top of the menu, and specific tunes for reboot and halt, so they know what they are doing.

To know more, you have the README on GitHub, and a page of information accessible from the main menu of EFI3M when running it.

I have tested EFI3M on Slint64-14.2.1.1, Slackware 14.2, Debian testing, Fedora Workstation 28-1.1, Arch Linux 20180601, openSUSE 15.0 Leap,
Ubuntu Mate 18.04.

EDIT: to allow starting from the EFI3M menu boot loaders built with elilo (like those found in Slackware and derivatives) you will need grub version 2.02.

I plan to internationalize EFI3M, but as my native language is French I need to first enhance the wording of the dialog in English. I will be grateful for your proposed correction.

Greetings,

Hello,

I just uploaded an new version of EFI3M on GitHub:
https://github.com/DidierSpaier/EFI3M

You can get it typing:
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Di...M/master/EFI3M

This will download the shell script EFI3M that should be run as root.

Enhancements:
I have checked that script can be used with speech using orca.

This is also true on the console using espeakup, only moving a boot entry up or down while reordering the boot entries is not spoken, I don't know why.

Reordering the boot entries is now simpler: just select a boot entry typing its number, then move it with the up or down arrow key. the corresponding line will be distinguished from the others by a * as first character.

I will just paste below the second page of the requirements and features as displayed by the script itself as it details the sound features:

<quoted page below>
Requirements:
GRUB version at least 2.02 should be installed, as well as usual
utilities found in pretty much any Linux distribution.

Sound aid for the visually impaired:
After booting, navigate in the menu with the up and down arrow keys.
If brltty, espeakup or orca is active when EFI3M is run:
1) A Beep is emitted as soon as the menu is displayed.
2) When pressing Enter on the menu entry n (numbered from the top of
the menu), a tune of n sounds is played. The user can then confirm
this choice pressing Enter (the same tune is then played again) or go
back to the top of the menu pressing the Esc key.
3) The same apply to the the last entries, Halt and Reboot. A descending
arpeggio is played for Halt, a descending followed by an ascending
arpeggio for Reboot. Again, confirm with Enter or cancel with Esc.

The sound can also be set afterwards: type 4 in the main menu of EFI3M,
then M for Mute or S for Sound, and validate the setting typing V.

To apply the modification to an USB stick you will need to write again
the menu on it, typing 3 in the main menu.
<quoted page ended above>

For those who tried a previous version and as some file names have changed you may want to remove the stale files with the script remove-efibootmenu before running the new EFI3M:

get it with this command then:
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Di...ve_efibootmenu

Best regards,

Didier