Gentoo Forums
Gentoo Forums
Gentoo Forums
Quick Search: in
[solved] efi gummi boot doesnt change to textmode
View unanswered posts
View posts from last 24 hours

 
Reply to topic    Gentoo Forums Forum Index Unsupported Software
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
ulenrich
Veteran
Veteran


Joined: 10 Oct 2010
Posts: 1480

PostPosted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 9:36 am    Post subject: [solved] efi gummi boot doesnt change to textmode Reply with quote

I have installed the gummiboot efi boot utility on a MacMini. And I managed successfully to have a start menu when chain loading from refit (another old efi tool, like refind ) to gummibootx64.efi

I firstly installed gummiboot with option:
--no-variables (Do not touch the EFI boot variables.)

I then had the courage to install gummiboot letting it touch the EFI. It now starts promptly as the first EFI shell. But my Apple MacMini seemingly has an EFI configuration to start in graphical mode. I cannot see the gummiboot menu any more. Just a white screen. But I can blindly change to another menu entry and boot the other (Debian) system instead of default Gentoo.

Does someone know howto change EFI to text mode by manipulating efivars?
I cannot find any option doing this with efibootmgr :(

Ok, I could try refind or grub2 efi but I like the minimalistic gummiboot approach ...


Last edited by ulenrich on Wed Jun 19, 2013 11:44 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
ulenrich
Veteran
Veteran


Joined: 10 Oct 2010
Posts: 1480

PostPosted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 2:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I found a workaround to see a gummoboot menu in textmode again:
Code:
#cat ${EFIPART_MOUNTPOINT}/loader/entries/Arefit.conf
title   Arefit
efi     /EFI/refit/refit.efi

My firstly loaded gummiboot sorts the menu alphabetically,
I dont see nothing but a white screen:
- I push up a few times, then
- enter
- refit.efi loads
- I select gummiboot
- gummiboot loads in textmode

Now I can see my gummiboot menu.
:(
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
srs5694
Guru
Guru


Joined: 08 Mar 2004
Posts: 434
Location: Woonsocket, RI

PostPosted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 12:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

As a practical matter, I'd suggest using rEFInd instead. Like gummiboot and unlike rEFIt, rEFInd is currently supported (I'm maintaining it); and if rEFIt works for you, I'd expect rEFInd to work, too. rEFInd can be configured to work in text mode, and it can do most of the stuff that gummiboot can do, so there's very little downside to using rEFInd compared to gummiboot, unless there's some specific unusual gummiboot feature you want that rEFInd doesn't provide.

If you're set on using gummiboot, then chances are you'll need to dig into its source code and the rEFIt or rEFInd source code to figure out why gummiboot isn't displaying anything. You'll then be able to patch it and submit a fix to the gummiboot developers. Alternatively, you could write a simple EFI application that adjusts the Mac's screen mode and then launches another program, and use it to launch gummiboot. This seems like more effort than patching gummiboot, though.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
ulenrich
Veteran
Veteran


Joined: 10 Oct 2010
Posts: 1480

PostPosted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 12:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

gummiboot-33
solved my issue. Gummiboot on an Apple MacMini now changes to textmode and shows my menu. A diff revealed the word "efiapi" was inserted in some setmode function in the source code.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Gentoo Forums Forum Index Unsupported Software All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum