In fact, the Linux kernel can function as an EFI boot loader for itself, which gives rEFInd characteristics similar to a boot loader for Linux. If you're using Linux, you should be aware that several EFI boot loaders are available, so choosing between them can be a challenge.
All EFI-capable OSes include boot loaders, so this limitation isn't a problem. (Since version 3.3.0, the Linux kernel has included a built-in boot loader, though, so this distinction is rather artificial these days, at least for Linux.) Many popular boot managers, such as the Grand Unified Bootloader (GRUB), are also boot loaders, which can blur the distinction in many users' minds. rEFInd is not a boot loader, which is a program that loads an OS kernel and hands off control to it. Like rEFIt, rEFInd is a boot manager, meaning that it presents a menu of options to the user when the computer first starts up, as shown below. This page describes rEFInd, my fork of the rEFIt boot manager for computers based on the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) and Unified EFI (UEFI). If you find this Web page useful, please consider making a small donation to help keep this site up and running. This Web page is provided free of charge and with no annoying outside ads however, I did take time to prepare it, and Web hosting does cost money. The rEFInd Boot Manager The rEFInd Boot Managerīy Roderick W.
