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https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine
Modern, advanced, portable, multiprotocol bootloader and boot manager.
https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine
aarch64 arm arm64 bios boot-loader boot-manager bootloader efi gpt loongarch loongarch64 loongson mbr risc-v riscv riscv64 uefi x64 x86 x86-64
Last synced: 4 days ago
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Modern, advanced, portable, multiprotocol bootloader and boot manager.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine
- Owner: limine-bootloader
- License: bsd-2-clause
- Created: 2019-05-15T04:02:11.000Z (over 5 years ago)
- Default Branch: v8.x
- Last Pushed: 2025-01-10T13:57:48.000Z (24 days ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-01-16T15:02:21.463Z (18 days ago)
- Topics: aarch64, arm, arm64, bios, boot-loader, boot-manager, bootloader, efi, gpt, loongarch, loongarch64, loongson, mbr, risc-v, riscv, riscv64, uefi, x64, x86, x86-64
- Language: C
- Homepage: https://limine-bootloader.org
- Size: 154 MB
- Stars: 1,936
- Watchers: 31
- Forks: 145
- Open Issues: 10
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: ChangeLog
- License: COPYING
Awesome Lists containing this project
- awesome-osdev - Limine - Modern, advanced, portable, multiprotocol bootloader. (Projects / Bootloaders)
README
# Limine
### What is Limine?
Limine (pronounced as demonstrated [here](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20limine))
is a modern, advanced, portable, multiprotocol bootloader and boot manager, also used
as the reference implementation for the [Limine boot protocol](PROTOCOL.md).
### Community, Support, and Donations
#### Donate
If you want to support the work I ([@mintsuki](https://github.com/mintsuki)) do on Limine, feel free to donate to me on Liberapay:
Donations welcome, but absolutely not mandatory!
#### Community
We have a Matrix room at `#limine:matrix.org` (preferred), and a [Discord server](https://discord.gg/QEeZMz4) if you need support, info, or you just want to hang out with us.
### Limine's boot menu
[Photo by Gundula Vogel](https://www.pexels.com/photo/ginger-cat-sitting-on-grass-25189639/)
### Supported architectures
* IA-32 (32-bit x86)
* x86-64
* aarch64 (arm64)
* riscv64
* loongarch64
### Supported boot protocols
* Linux
* [Limine](PROTOCOL.md)
* Multiboot 1
* Multiboot 2
* Chainloading
### Supported partitioning schemes
* MBR
* GPT
* Unpartitioned media
### Supported filesystems
* FAT12/16/32
* ISO9660 (CDs/DVDs)
* ext2/3/4 (NOTE: This is experimental and not supported. Maintainers wanted!)
If your filesystem isn't listed here, please read [the philosophy](PHILOSOPHY.md) first, especially before
opening issues or pull requests related to this.
### Minimum system requirements
For 32-bit x86 systems, support is only ensured starting with those with
Pentium Pro (i686) class CPUs.
All x86-64, aarch64, riscv64 and loongarch64 (UEFI) systems are supported.
## Packaging status
All Limine releases since 7.x use [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html) for their naming.
[](https://repology.org/project/limine/versions)
## Binary releases
For convenience, for point releases, binaries are distributed. These binaries
are shipped in the `-binary` branches and tags of this repository
(see [branches](https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine/branches/all) and
[tags](https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine/tags)).
For example, to clone the latest binary release of the `8.x` branch, one can do:
```bash
git clone https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine.git --branch=v8.x-binary --depth=1
```
or, to clone a specific binary point release (for example `8.7.0`):
```bash
git clone https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine.git --branch=v8.7.0-binary --depth=1
```
In order to rebuild host utilities like `limine`, simply run `make` in the binary
release directory.
Host utility binaries are provided for Windows.
## Building the bootloader
*The following steps are not necessary if cloning a binary release. If so, skip to*
*"Installing Limine binaries".*
### Prerequisites
In order to build Limine, the following programs have to be installed:
common UNIX tools (also known as `coreutils`),
`GNU make`, `grep`, `sed`, `find`, `awk`, `gzip`, `nasm`, `mtools`
(optional, necessary to build `limine-uefi-cd.bin`).
Furthermore, `gcc` or `llvm/clang` must also be installed, alongside
the respective binutils.
### Configure
If using a release tarball (recommended, see https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine/releases),
run `./configure` directly.
If checking out from the repository, run `./bootstrap` first in order to download the
necessary dependencies and generate the configure script (`GNU autoconf` required).
`./configure` takes arguments and environment variables; for more information on
these, run `./configure --help`.
**`./configure` by default does not build any Limine port. Make sure to read the**
**output of `./configure --help` and enable any or all ports!**
Limine supports both in-tree and out-of-tree builds. Simply run the `configure`
script from the directory you wish to execute the build in. The following `make`
commands are supposed to be run inside the build directory.
### Building Limine
To build Limine, run:
```bash
make # (or gmake where applicable)
```
## Installing Limine
This step will install Limine files to `share`, `include`, and
`bin` directories in the specified prefix (default is `/usr/local`, see
`./configure --help`, or the `PREFIX` variable if installing from a binary release).
To install Limine, run:
```bash
make install # (or gmake where applicable)
```
## Usage
See [USAGE.md](USAGE.md).
## Acknowledgments
[cc-runtime](https://github.com/osdev0/cc-runtime) (Apache License v2.0 with LLVM Exceptions) is used to provide runtime libgcc-like routines.
[0BSD Freestanding C Headers](https://github.com/osdev0/freestnd-c-hdrs-0bsd) (0BSD License) provide GCC and Clang compatible freestanding C headers.
[Nyu-EFI](https://github.com/osdev0/nyu-efi) (Intel Open Source License/BSD-2-Clause License/HP License) provides headers and build-time support for UEFI.
[tinf](https://github.com/jibsen/tinf) (zlib License) is used in early x86 BIOS stages for GZIP decompression of stage2.
[Flanterm](https://github.com/mintsuki/flanterm) (BSD-2-Clause License) is used for text related screen drawing.
[stb_image](https://github.com/nothings/stb/blob/master/stb_image.h) (MIT License/Public Domain) is used for wallpaper image loading.
[libfdt](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/utils/dtc/dtc.git) (BSD-2-Clause License) is used for manipulating Flat Device Trees.