1MVREFIND(8) rEFInd Manual MVREFIND(8)
2any later version
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8 mvrefind - Move a rEFInd installation from one location to another
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11 mvrefind SOURCE DEST
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15 Move a rEFInd installation from SOURCE to DEST, where both SOURCE and
16 DEST are directories on the EFI System Partition (ESP), with SOURCE
17 containing a working rEFInd installation. This operation entails taking
18 several actions:
19 * Renaming the SOURCE directory to DEST.
22 * Renaming the rEFInd binary to a suitable value given the new
25 destination. For instance, if DEST is EFI/BOOT on the EFI Sys‐
26 tem Partition (ESP), the rEFInd binary should be bootx64.efi (or
27 something similar but with a different architecture code).
28 * Altering the computer's NVRAM entries to point to rEFInd at its
31 new location.
32 * If Shim is detected, renaming operations and NVRAM entry point‐
35 ers are adjusted appropriately.
36 * If the DEST exists, its contents are preserved.
39 Broadly speaking, mvrefind understands three types of locations for
42 both SOURCE and DEST, relative to the root of the ESP:
43 * EFI/BOOT -- The bootx64.efi (or similar for other architectures)
46 filename in this location is the "fallback filename," which is
47 used by removable boot media and as a boot loader of last resort
48 on hard disks. Some EFIs can't remember their normal boot en‐
49 tries, and on them, rEFInd must be installed here (or as the
50 Windows boot loader). When this directory is the DEST and it al‐
51 ready exists, the existing EFI/BOOT is backed up to EFI/BOOT-rE‐
52 FIndBackup; and if the SOURCE is EFI/BOOT and EFI/BOOT-rEFInd‐
53 Backup exists, it is renamed to EFI/BOOT after rEFInd is moved
54 to its destination.
55 * EFI/Microsoft/boot -- The bootmgfw.efi file in this location
58 normally holds the Windows boot loader. Machines with broken
59 EFIs may refuse to accept or remember proper boot entries and
60 will instead boot this entry in preference to all others. In
61 such cases, using rEFInd requires moving the Microsoft boot
62 loader elsewhere and replacing it with rEFInd. When this direc‐
63 tory is the DEST, mvrefind moves the original bootmgfw.efi file
64 down one level (to EFI/Microsoft) and stores refind_x64.efi (or
65 Shim) in that location. When moving from EFI/Microsoft/boot,
66 this process is reversed.
67 * Anything else -- Any other SOURCE or DEST location is treated as
70 a regular rEFInd installation, with a proper NVRAM entry created
71 by efibootmgr.
72 mvrefind attempts to identify the ESP and refuses to move between the
75 ESP and any other partition. When it does move files, it moves the main
76 rEFInd binary, the refind.conf file, any identified Shim binary, and
77 the icons, icons-backup, drivers_*, and keys subdirectories. If other
78 rEFInd files or directories are present in SOURCE (such as a custom
79 theme/icons directory), they will not be moved. If SOURCE is empty af‐
80 ter the specified files and subdirectories are moved, SOURCE will be
81 deleted.
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85 Primary author: Roderick W. Smith (rodsmith@rodsbooks.com)
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89 mkrlconf(8), refind-install(8).
90 https://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/
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95 The mvrefind command is part of the rEFInd package and is available
96 from Roderick W. Smith.
97Roderick W. Smith 0.13.3 MVREFIND(8)