Remove legacy PC boot support?

[zeha]

Today you can run grml-debootstrap without passing --efi [device] or --vmefi. This will probably give you a PC-legacy-boot setup.

I want to say this is not relevant anymore. I think we should require passing --efi [device] and assume --vmefi if --vm is given.

Will probably have a few implications in the grml-debootstrap and chroot-script code, and I hope things will become easier to understand. Then we can also better sort out installing grub.

[zeha]

@mika @jkirk wdyt?

[adrelanos]

Images I am building are always using --vmefi. Works great! This code path seems a lot more sophisticated. And it's not efi-only. It's actually dual legacy-BIOS+EFI boot compatible, and I think, that's awesome. It allows to boot images inside VirtualBox / QEMU no matter if configured for legacy or BIOS.

"legacy" with QEMU / SeaBios isn't even "legacy" as in "obsolete". It's the well maintained, highly stable, reliable, simple, more backdoor resistant (no or less complex persistent storage in virtual firmware area) firmware interface.

In VMs, EFI also has more issues than legacy BIOS.

So no, please don't remove legacy BIOS booting support in favor of EFI. Please kindly keep it dual legacy-BIOS+EFI boot compatible.

I would kindly suggest,

1. please review and merge Make bootloader updates on UEFI-based systems work #299;
2. keep the "if" (vmefi code path, with sets up both boot methods, both legacy+BIOS);
3. drop the "else" (legacy-only code path).

[mika]

Yeah, e.g. PVE (Proxmox VE) also defaults to QEMU / SeaBios, usage of EFI always means extra steps, so we should explore our options and what might be good defaults and acceptable options regarding "legacy" options. :)

[zeha]

Should investigate grub-cloud for dual-boot images.

[adrelanos]

Should investigate grub-cloud for dual-boot images.

Discussed here: #299 (comment)