Lilo works fine in legacy BIOS mode (I think that was what you meant to ask). I have my laptop running that way with no problems. I'm not sure about GPT, however, since I saw no benefit to using it with a small solid state drive and just switched to MBR.

Of course, I also wiped Windows 8, so that made things rather simpler.

1 members found this post helpful.

GPT only is useful if you have more than 3 Primary Partitions. Otherwise MBR is perfectly safe to use.

aha!
After checking my notes on how I originally got my bare metal system to boot into UEFI. I see I did it from the EFI shell (Shellx64.efi) like so.
"fs0> bzImage.efi root=/dev/sda2 ro console=ttys0"
I had already created /dev/sda1 as an efi partition. That's what had me "confused" I named the root partition in the efi shell. The bzImage.efi was a stub kernel with only CMDLINE_BOOL=yes. I had already completed an install of Slackware to /dev/sda2 but it would only do a legacy boot.

I agree elilo is the easiest way to go, but it took a while for me to pull it all together, after I got /dev/sda1 recognized as a boot partition by the UEFI bios it has been easy peasy.

Many thanks for taking the time to enlighten me
John

Thanks for the explanation, Pat.

I need to investigate more about EFISTUB, because Arch Linux provides this boot method, but i never hardcoded my root partition in the kernel config (i always used the default package) and I always used an initramfs. I even used EFISTUB+refind with an Arch installed onto ZFS+LUKS, and I used a ramdisk withouth any worries.
My root partition was always "declared" only in refind_linux.conf.

As soon as I have some spare time, i would to try this method also in Slackware.

Yes, that's what I meant. Hoever I will most likey boot it from a USB flash drive.

And if you don't mind the silly question: after loading the kernel from USB can I remove the flash drive? Thanks

Just one extra note. On my Asus laptop, I use eLilo for Slackware - and just pure UEFI menu for Windows. I've discovered that pressing ESC during boot (might be a different key on other machines) will bring up a menu with the boot options set in the UEFI bios. Just make sure you don't delete your Windows option in BIOS which comes with the computer - and don't delete the original UEFI system partition with its contents. You can just add your eLilo stuff there, along existing Windows stuff. So technically, there isn't really a need to have another boot manager to choose which OS to start.

Also, I didn't use an UEFI shell to configure the boot options. I just went into BIOS/UEFI, and it has the tools there to just type a new startup option. So I just added a new boot option and typed the path to the eLilo executable, in the UEFI system partition. Something like this:

fs0:\EFI\BOOT\ELILO64.EFI

(rename elilo from the original BOOTX64.EFI to ELILO64.EFI if you already have a default BOOTX64.EFI in there).

What got me confused for a while is that all examples of UEFI commands start with ">" - which I was including. However, that seems to be the prompt of EFI shells, and shouldn't be part of the actual executed line, specially if it is configured directly in BIOS :-) Once I got past that, it was rather easy. I mostly followed instructions from the following link to download, install and configure eLilo:

http://docs.slackware.com/howtos:sla..._uefi_hardware

That option does not exist on the UEFI setup on my AsRock board. I had to do it using efibootmgr. Like you say after that everything is easy. Let me add if it does exist I could not find it.
John

.

Yes, that's true. I meant I'm not sure how compatible Lilo is with GPT. I haven't tried it myself, and information I've found about the matter seems to be contradictory.

I have a question related to this...

In Vista/7 if you install Windows with any drive other than the primary it installs the boot files to the secondary drive. Is Widows 8 the same way?

That would effect the installation greatly. Thanks.

I think so. Only one way to find out.

(Or maybe someone else can tell you for sure!)

Original LILO isn't compatible with UEFI, but it does work with GPT.

I only wish Windows supported booting GPT partitions from BIOS. They only support GPT via UEFI.

I seem to remember believing that a few Windows Server editions could do this in the past (around 2008), but I can find no reference to it now. Windows Server 2012 certainly cannot. However, this is on the horizon (and workable even now if you have a sense of adventure). Personally, I cannot imagine wanting to spend enough time with Windows to be comfortable doing something like this. Thankfully I don't have to.

I mean:

I like Linux and I work with it most of the time, but I MUST work also with Windows 8, to earn my life.

Others have stated that they'll wipe out Windows 8, boot in BIOS mode, or disable secure boot and, via Firmware or modifying NVRAM boot order, boot in EFI mode with ELILO.

AFAIK, Windows 8 can boot with secure boot disabled, in EFI mode. But if you MUST work with Windows 8 in a daily basis... well, viruses and the like won't target the NVRAM, the ESP... (which will be more accessible if you have secure boot disabled, I mean)?

If secure boot is enabled, bootloaders in the ESP must be signed, and added to the NVRAM, and this Windows 8 that I MUST work with is safer... ain't it?

Viruses and malware will always be a threat on any OS, but if you use Windows, I suggest Spybot Search and Destroy 2 and use it's Immunization feature, and active on-demand scanner. You can use whatever Antivirus you feel like.

Microsoft Security Essentials, Comodo Internet Security Premium, and various others are all free to use.

You don't have to wipe out Windows 8. Just because other people hate Windows doesn't mean you should delete it.

I personally use GNU/Linux, BSD, and Windows equally between each other for various functions and tools. They're all great operating systems in their own rights respectively.

As I stated, even if you have Slackware 14.0, which doesn't have full UEFI support yet through eLILO, which is in current and prepared for 14.1, you can use SysLinux and Grub2 to boot UEFI systems and GPT partitions.

If you need help resizing your partitions, installing Linux, and setting up a UEFI friendly bootloader, I have done this a thousand times, so if needed I can help you through getting your system booted.

Yes, I need that help. And any regular user of Slackware or Linux could need it, too.

Recently I bought a new laptop to replace my old one, where only Linux could be used yet (well, Linux and Windows XP... until next years' 8th of april).

At my job, we use licensed software (Microsoft Office and like so...) and there aren't any plans for a change in the OS, in fact, training is being done in newer versions of this licensed software. As I stated, I need a working Windows 8 at my home's laptop, do I like it or not.

I've been trying to install Slackware 14.0 in this new laptop for weeks, but I'm progressing VERY slow, because I'm afraid of damaging the Windows 8 which came installed within it.

For anyone who will be reading, there is a LOT of disperse information that you must read and understand well for the big jump which is working with an UEFI/Secure Boot/GPT partitioned system. It is being a big jump for me, I'm more used of BIOS, MBR partitioning, and Slackware... stable.

The main reason why I like Slackware is ADVICE (sounds strange, doesn't it?). I take the software which comes with Slackware as advice of proven, reliable software (advice from Pat; there are lots of software choices in Linux).

Well, as of today, I think we could use more help about UEFI in docs.slackware.com, that the newer version of Slackware could have some README about the subject, maybe also ELILO in the "extra" folder.

If you look for keyword UEFI, there is only the slackbuild for efibootmgr in Slackbuilds (and things like shim, mokmanager, rEFInd...?) for the less advanced Slackware users like me, installing all this new software without slackbuilds or HOW-TOs... well, things were so easy when you only had to install LILO in the MBR for a dual boot... you could choose. Easily. Now it seems like one OS or the other. Take it or leave it.

What would be the more appropriate way to ask for help?, I mean: this thread?, do I start another one?, here, or at the installation sub-forum?.

And please, I didn't mean to aggrieve anyone with this post, take it as constructive criticism, suggestions from the customers, etc.

1 members found this post helpful.