Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2026 15:01:56 +0000 From: Benedict Reuschling <bcr@FreeBSD.org> To: src-committers@FreeBSD.org, dev-commits-src-all@FreeBSD.org, dev-commits-src-main@FreeBSD.org Cc: Bill Blake <billblake2018@protonmail.com> Subject: git: cf7d4b04e9ae - main - loader.efi(8): Document LoaderEnv and NextLoaderEnv EFI variables Message-ID: <69ecd764.3b648.6f3557a@gitrepo.freebsd.org>
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The branch main has been updated by bcr: URL: https://cgit.FreeBSD.org/src/commit/?id=cf7d4b04e9ae890f2a0f5811234e926f75a0c237 commit cf7d4b04e9ae890f2a0f5811234e926f75a0c237 Author: Bill Blake <billblake2018@protonmail.com> AuthorDate: 2026-04-25 14:56:24 +0000 Commit: Benedict Reuschling <bcr@FreeBSD.org> CommitDate: 2026-04-25 15:01:43 +0000 loader.efi(8): Document LoaderEnv and NextLoaderEnv EFI variables Describe how the LoaderEnv and NextLoaderEnv variables can be used. PR: 293054 Reviewed by: imp Sponsored by: Wiesbaden Hackathon 202604 Differential Revision: https://reviews.freebsd.org/D56633 --- stand/man/loader.efi.8 | 41 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---- 1 file changed, 37 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-) diff --git a/stand/man/loader.efi.8 b/stand/man/loader.efi.8 index 8bb88dd2e24f..32729ff519a2 100644 --- a/stand/man/loader.efi.8 +++ b/stand/man/loader.efi.8 @@ -217,14 +217,47 @@ functionality where we use the video console if a keyboard is connected and a serial console otherwise. .Ss Additional Environment Variables .Nm -loads some extra variables early in startup from -.Pa /efi/freebsd/loader.env -from the EFI partition. -Only simple variables can be set here. +can set variables early in startup from a file on the EFI partition. +By default, that file is +.Pa /efi/freebsd/loader.env . +It can be changed by setting the FreeBSD EFI variable +.Va LoaderEnv , +as in: +.Bd -literal -offset indent +echo -n /efi/freebsd/alt.env | efivar -w -t 7 \\ + -n cfee69ad-a0de-47a9-93a8-f63106f8ae99-LoaderEnv +.Ed +.Pp +After that is executed, the file +.Pa /efi/freebsd/alt.env +is used instead of +.Pa /efi/freebsd/loader.env . +See +.Xr efivar 8 +for more information on setting EFI variables. +.Pp +The EFI variable +.Va NextLoaderEnv +can be set to the pathname of a second startup file. +That variable is deleted immediately after its value is retrieved, +so setting it will affect only the next boot attempt. +For either variable, a missing file is silently ignored. +.Pp +Only simple variables can be set in the startup file. It can be useful to specify the root filesystem: .Bd -literal -offset indent rootdev=disk0s1a .Ed +.Pp +The startup file contains a series of assignments separated by spaces, +tabs, or newlines. +Quotes are not given any special treatment. +If no +.Li =value +is given, the value +.Li 1 +is used. +Invalid syntax and the like are silently ignored. .Ss Staging Slop The kernel must parse the firmware memory map tables to know what memory it can use.home | help
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