Hello, Just adding some information that might be useful to others who find themselves in a similar position:
ReactOS (open source widows re-implementation) has a bootloader called freeloader which is capable of loading all sorts of windows and windows-like operating systems. It can even do funny things like boot windows server 2003 from a btrfs or ext2/3 partition. Freeloader can be loaded by grub as a multiboot-compatible kernel, with instructions here: https://reactos.org/wiki/Boot_FreeLoader_from_GRUB I would expect it to also be possible to chainload it from linux using kexec, making it possible to boot windows from within linuxboot-based payloads. Sincerely, -Matthew Bradley On Wed, Jun 12, 2019 at 11:55 PM Matt B <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi, > > >> I think SeaBIOS already has an option to build a multiboot image. In >> either case you could also (in theory) pack either into a bzImage and >> feed that to kexec. >> > > Clearly this is one place I should look next. I was mainly looking at grub > as I understood it to be the most capable among payloads, though not > necessarily the most streamlined. > > Just for the sake of completeness, can grub be packed into a compatible > multiboot image? I can only find information on grub loading them. > > I wonder why you would want to chainload grub, however, instead of >> using u-root programs that read grub config files and do the boot >> directly? >> > > My impression is things that try to parse grub config files (or similar) > tend to implement only partial compatibility and be a bit buggy. I also > couldn't find any clear documentation on this. > > There are reasons to use grub, of course, but I was curious >> about your specific reason. >> > > From what I've read grub has the best support among payloads for things > like loading or verifying encrypted partitions, while also being able to > load a wide variety of media (from live CDs to windows loaders). The > general outline was to have linuxboot come up first and do all of the boot > logic and other tasks in a nice linux environment, then invoke grub to take > the appropriate final action. I still don't know if seabios can boot > something on an encrypted partition, even if the linux runtime that's > loading seabios is capable of mounting it. > > One of many ideas I'm fiddling with is to implement functionality that > coreboot lacks compared to most proprietary BIOSs (self flashing, > configuration, and other goodies) using fairly normal scripts under linux. > If linuxboot can provide a great deal of flexibility, this is one way I can > imagine using it. > > windows 12 > > > What? > > Sincerely, > -Matt > > On Wed, Jun 12, 2019 at 4:26 AM Mike Banon <[email protected]> wrote: > >> At least Windows 10 supports the Legacy BIOS, and most likely 12 will >> too. As long as they are making a 32-bit version of Windows they're >> still caring about the "legacy" PCs and we shouldn't be worried. Also, >> it's hard to imagine a coreboot'er who would be running 12 natively - >> not inside some virtual machine. >> >> On Wed, Jun 12, 2019 at 2:38 AM Gregg Levine <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> > >> > Hello! >> > (Incidentally all of you are getting this because Google Mail delights >> > in sending things out as reply-all.) >> > I'm currently an observer in this set of circumstances but as it >> > happens Stefan you are very right. My older laptop used a BIOS that >> > was more suited to an earlier and even uglier release of Windows(!) >> > and this one is using EFI and behaves strangely sometimes. >> > >> > Oh and I was able to run Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 for a while on the >> > older one. Slowly of course but those versions ran. >> > >> > Let's see what does work.. >> > ----- >> > Gregg C Levine [email protected] >> > "This signature fought the Time Wars, time and again." >> > >> > On Tue, Jun 11, 2019 at 6:53 PM Stefan Reinauer >> > <[email protected]> wrote: >> > > >> > > * ron minnich <[email protected]> [190611 07:13]: >> > > > if you boot windows 12 would you need tianocore? >> > > >> > > Need is a harsh word, but the simple answer to a simple question is >> yes, >> > > you do. >> > > >> > > You can use SeaBIOS, but Windows does not officially support legacy >> BIOS >> > > since at least Windows 7, so whatever works today might stop working >> > > tomorrow. >> > > >> > > > >> > > > On Mon, Jun 10, 2019 at 1:44 PM Nico Huber <[email protected]> wrote: >> > > > > >> > > > > On 09.06.19 20:53, Matt B wrote: >> > > > > > It is possible through u-root support for multiboot images [1] >> to chainload >> > > > > > grub? >> > > > > >> > > > > Yes, I would think so. But in case we are still on topic: It won't >> > > > > help you to boot Windows (unless you also implement UEFI services >> > > > > in your LinuxBoot and use a UEFI GRUB). >> > > > > >> > > > > To chainload something for Windows I would currently go either >> one of >> > > > > these ways: >> > > > > >> > > > > coreboot -> LinuxBoot -> SeaBIOS -> Windows loader >> > > > > coreboot -> LinuxBoot -> tianocore -> Windows loader >> > > > > >> > > > > I think SeaBIOS already has an option to build a multiboot image. >> In >> > > > > either case you could also (in theory) pack either into a bzImage >> and >> > > > > feed that to kexec. >> > > > > >> > > > > Nico >> > _______________________________________________ >> > coreboot mailing list -- [email protected] >> > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >> >
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