# Systemd-boot

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> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Systemd-boot.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systemd-boot
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{{Short description|UEFI boot manager}}
{{Lowercase title}}
{{Infobox software
| name = systemd-boot
| screenshot = File:Systemd-boot on Arch Linux.png
| developer = [Kay Sievers](/source/Kay_Sievers), [Harald Hoyer](/source/Harald_Hoyer), Karel Zak
| released = {{Start date and age|2012|06|28}}
| programming language = [C](/source/C_(programming_language))
| repo = {{URL|https://github.com/systemd/systemd/tree/main/src/boot}}
| genre = [Boot loader](/source/Boot_loader) for [UEFI](/source/UEFI) systems
| license = [LGPL-2.1-or-later](/source/GNU_Lesser_General_Public_License)
| website = {{URL|https://systemd.io/BOOT/}}
}}

'''systemd-boot''' is a [free and open-source](/source/Free_and_open-source_software) [boot manager](/source/Bootloader), previously known as '''gummiboot'''.

==gummiboot==

gummiboot was developed by the [Red Hat](/source/Red_Hat) employees [Kay Sievers](/source/Kay_Sievers) and [Harald Hoyer](/source/Harald_Hoyer) and designed as a minimal alternative to [GNU GRUB](/source/GNU_GRUB) for systems using the [Unified Extensible Firmware Interface](/source/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface) (UEFI). The boot loader automatically detected bootable images (including [operating system](/source/operating_system)s and other boot loaders), did not require a configuration file, provided a basic menu-based interface, and could also integrate with systemd to provide performance data.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://systemd.io/BOOT_LOADER_INTERFACE/|title = Boot Loader Interface}}</ref>

As a [word play](/source/word_play), the name "gummiboot" means "[rubber (inflatable) boat](/source/inflatable_boat)" in [German](/source/German_language), the native language of its initial developers.<ref name="theh-gummi" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-06-28 |title=Lennart Poettering - Google+ |url=https://plus.google.com/+LennartPoetteringTheOneAndOnly/posts/gDfHgApPma1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222214051/https://plus.google.com/+LennartPoetteringTheOneAndOnly/posts/gDfHgApPma1 |archive-date=2015-02-22 |access-date=2025-08-10 |website=plus.google.com |language=en}}</ref> Despite being developed by two of its employees, Red Hat's [Fedora Project](/source/Fedora_(operating_system)) did not use gummiboot for booting UEFI systems; instead, it used efilinux to [chainload](/source/chainload) GRUB.<ref name="theh-gummi" /><ref name="lwn-efilinux" />

gummiboot was licensed under [LGPL-2.1-or-later](/source/GNU_Lesser_General_Public_License), unlike GRUB which is licensed under the [GPL-3.0-or-later](/source/GNU_General_Public_License). This distinction was intended to allow gummiboot to be suitable for use on UEFI systems implementing [secure boot](/source/Secure_Boot),<ref name="theh-gummi">{{cite web |title=Gummiboot is an EFI boot loader that "just works" |url=http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Gummiboot-is-an-EFI-boot-loader-that-just-works-1628719.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131207074105/http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Gummiboot-is-an-EFI-boot-loader-that-just-works-1628719.html |archive-date=2013-12-07 |accessdate=11 September 2012 |publisher=The H}}</ref> due to concerns surrounding its requirement to distribute all authorization keys ([digital certificate](/source/digital_certificate)s) needed to run GPL-v3-licensed software if hardware restrictions such as secure boot are in effect.<ref name=lwn-efilinux>{{cite web|title=Ubuntu details its UEFI secure boot plans|url=https://lwn.net/Articles/503803/|publisher=Linux Weekly News|accessdate=11 September 2012}}</ref>

In May 2015, gummiboot was merged into [systemd](/source/systemd) and renamed to "systemd-boot".<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.rodsbooks.com/efi-bootloaders/gummiboot.html| title = Managing EFI Boot Loaders for Linux: Using gummiboot| author = Rod Smith| date = 2013-04-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Systemd-220| title = Systemd 220 Has Finally Been Released | date = 2015-05-21 | accessdate = 2015-08-17 | author = Michael Larabel | publisher = [Phoronix](/source/Phoronix)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/systemd-devel/2015-May/032147.html | title = <nowiki>[systemd-devel] [ANNOUNCE]</nowiki> systemd&nbsp;v220 | date = 2015-05-21 | accessdate = 2021-09-27 | author = [Lennart Poettering](/source/Lennart_Poettering) | website = lists.freedesktop.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Gummiboot-Is-Dead | title = Gummiboot is Dead | date = 2015-07-07 | accessdate = 2015-08-17 | author = Michael Larabel | publisher = [Phoronix](/source/Phoronix)}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Linux|Free and open-source software}}
* [Comparison of boot loaders](/source/Comparison_of_boot_loaders)

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/systemd-boot.html systemd-boot(7)] - [Manual page](/source/Manual_page)

Category:Free boot loaders
Category:Free software programmed in C
Category:Linux kernel-related software
Category:Linux-only free software
Category:Software using the GNU Lesser General Public License

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Systemd-boot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systemd-boot) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systemd-boot?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.