any later version
mvrefind - Move a rEFInd installation from one location to
another
Move a rEFInd installation from SOURCE to DEST,
where both SOURCE and DEST are directories on the EFI System
Partition (ESP), with SOURCE containing a working rEFInd
installation. This operation entails taking several actions:
- *
- Renaming the SOURCE directory to DEST.
- *
- Renaming the rEFInd binary to a suitable value given the new destination.
For instance, if DEST is EFI/BOOT on the EFI System Partition
(ESP), the rEFInd binary should be bootx64.efi (or something
similar but with a different architecture code).
- *
- Altering the computer's NVRAM entries to point to rEFInd at its new
location.
- *
- If Shim is detected, renaming operations and NVRAM entry pointers are
adjusted appropriately.
- *
- If the DEST exists, its contents are preserved.
Broadly speaking, mvrefind understands three types of
locations for both SOURCE and DEST, relative to the root of
the ESP:
- *
- EFI/BOOT -- The bootx64.efi (or similar for other
architectures) filename in this location is the "fallback
filename," which is used by removable boot media and as a boot loader
of last resort on hard disks. Some EFIs can't remember their normal boot
entries, and on them, rEFInd must be installed here (or as the Windows
boot loader). When this directory is the DEST and it already
exists, the existing EFI/BOOT is backed up to
EFI/BOOT-rEFIndBackup; and if the SOURCE is EFI/BOOT
and EFI/BOOT-rEFIndBackup exists, it is renamed to EFI/BOOT
after rEFInd is moved to its destination.
- *
- EFI/Microsoft/boot -- The bootmgfw.efi file in this location
normally holds the Windows boot loader. Machines with broken EFIs may
refuse to accept or remember proper boot entries and will instead boot
this entry in preference to all others. In such cases, using rEFInd
requires moving the Microsoft boot loader elsewhere and replacing it with
rEFInd. When this directory is the DEST, mvrefind moves the
original bootmgfw.efi file down one level (to EFI/Microsoft)
and stores refind_x64.efi (or Shim) in that location. When moving
from EFI/Microsoft/boot, this process is reversed.
- *
- Anything else -- Any other SOURCE or DEST location is
treated as a regular rEFInd installation, with a proper NVRAM entry
created by efibootmgr.
mvrefind attempts to identify the ESP and refuses to move
between the ESP and any other partition. When it does move files, it moves
the main rEFInd binary, the refind.conf file, any identified Shim
binary, and the icons, icons-backup, drivers_*, and
keys subdirectories. If other rEFInd files or directories are present
in SOURCE (such as a custom theme/icons directory), they will not be
moved. If SOURCE is empty after the specified files and
subdirectories are moved, SOURCE will be deleted.
Primary author: Roderick W. Smith (rodsmith@rodsbooks.com)
The mvrefind command is part of the rEFInd package
and is available from Roderick W. Smith.