Bug 520157

Summary:	cannot force EFI boot loader
Product:	[Fedora] Fedora	Reporter:	John Reiser <jreiser>
Component:	anaconda	Assignee:	Anaconda Maintenance Team <anaconda-maint-list>
Status:	CLOSED NOTABUG	QA Contact:	Fedora Extras Quality Assurance <extras-qa>
Severity:	medium	Docs Contact:
Priority:	low
Version:	rawhide	CC:	anaconda-maint-list, lzap, vanmeeuwen+fedora
Target Milestone:	---
Target Release:	---
Hardware:	All
OS:	Linux
Whiteboard:
Fixed In Version:		Doc Type:	Bug Fix
Doc Text:		Story Points:	---
Clone Of:		Environment:
Last Closed:	2009-08-28 17:30:37 UTC	Type:	---
Regression:	---	Mount Type:	---
Documentation:	---	CRM:
Verified Versions:		Category:	---
oVirt Team:	---	RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team:	---	Target Upstream Version:
Embargoed:

Description John Reiser 2009-08-28 16:42:46 UTC

Description of problem: There is no way to force installation of EFI bootloader when installing to a partition on an [external] EFI harddrive.  If the machine has BIOS "classic PC" boot loader, then the only choices are /dev/sda and the boot block of the installed root.  Instead, there should also be a choice to install EFI boot onto the harddrive of the installed root.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
anaconda-12.17 (rawhide of 2009-08-28)

How reproducible: every time


Steps to Reproduce:
1. Connect external USB2.0 harddrive with GPT partition table and "EFI System Partition" to a machine that has classic PC BIOS bootloader on /dev/sda.
2. Install from DVD to a partition on the EFI drive.
3. Proceed to bootloader dialogs
  
Actual results: The only choices offered for bootloader are /dev/sda and first block of installed root filesystem.


Expected results: Also offer choice to install EFI boot onto EFI System Partition when installed root is on GPT+EFI drive.


Additional info:

Comment 1 Chris Lumens 2009-08-28 17:30:37 UTC

In anaconda, bootloader installation is tied to the machine we're installing to, not the drive the install is being done to.  If you want to install an EFI bootloader to the external hard drive, you're going to have to do it on a machine that supports EFI.  Breaking this tie would result in some really confusing dialogs and bug reports in the future.

Comment 2 Lukas Zapletal 2016-09-29 15:11:01 UTC

Just a sidenote, there are systems floating around (e.g. Intel NUCs and others) that are EFI compatible but can only PXE boot via BIOS. I bought one of these as server, and there is no way to provision RHEL/Fedora from PXE with Anaconda as it always offers BIOS partitioning.

I will try with kickstart later, but I am not sure if it helps. This is relevant RFE I think.