1 .. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0+
2 .. Copyright (c) 2018 Heinrich Schuchardt
7 The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface Specification (UEFI) [1] has become
8 the default for booting on AArch64 and x86 systems. It provides a stable API for
9 the interaction of drivers and applications with the firmware. The API comprises
10 access to block storage, network, and console to name a few. The Linux kernel
11 and boot loaders like GRUB or the FreeBSD loader can be executed.
16 The implementation of UEFI in U-Boot strives to reach the requirements described
17 in the "Embedded Base Boot Requirements (EBBR) Specification - Release v1.0"
18 [2]. The "Server Base Boot Requirements System Software on ARM Platforms" [3]
19 describes a superset of the EBBR specification and may be used as further
22 A full blown UEFI implementation would contradict the U-Boot design principle
25 Building U-Boot for UEFI
26 ------------------------
28 The UEFI standard supports only little-endian systems. The UEFI support can be
29 activated for ARM and x86 by specifying::
36 Support for attaching virtual block devices, e.g. iSCSI drives connected by the
37 loaded UEFI application [4], requires::
42 Executing a UEFI binary
43 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
45 The bootefi command is used to start UEFI applications or to install UEFI
46 drivers. It takes two parameters::
48 bootefi <image address> [fdt address]
50 * image address - the memory address of the UEFI binary
51 * fdt address - the memory address of the flattened device tree
53 Below you find the output of an example session starting GRUB::
55 => load mmc 0:2 ${fdt_addr_r} boot/dtb
56 29830 bytes read in 14 ms (2 MiB/s)
57 => load mmc 0:1 ${kernel_addr_r} efi/debian/grubaa64.efi
58 reading efi/debian/grubaa64.efi
59 120832 bytes read in 7 ms (16.5 MiB/s)
60 => bootefi ${kernel_addr_r} ${fdt_addr_r}
62 The environment variable 'bootargs' is passed as load options in the UEFI system
63 table. The Linux kernel EFI stub uses the load options as command line
66 Launching a UEFI binary from a FIT image
67 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
69 A signed FIT image can be used to securely boot a UEFI image via the
70 bootm command. This feature is available if U-Boot is configured with::
74 A sample configuration is provided as file doc/uImage.FIT/uefi.its.
76 Below you find the output of an example session starting GRUB::
78 => load mmc 0:1 ${kernel_addr_r} image.fit
79 4620426 bytes read in 83 ms (53.1 MiB/s)
80 => bootm ${kernel_addr_r}#config-grub-nofdt
81 ## Loading kernel from FIT Image at 40400000 ...
82 Using 'config-grub-nofdt' configuration
83 Verifying Hash Integrity ... sha256,rsa2048:dev+ OK
84 Trying 'efi-grub' kernel subimage
85 Description: GRUB EFI Firmware
86 Created: 2019-11-20 8:18:16 UTC
87 Type: Kernel Image (no loading done)
88 Compression: uncompressed
89 Data Start: 0x404000d0
90 Data Size: 450560 Bytes = 440 KiB
92 Hash value: 4dbee00021112df618f58b3f7cf5e1595533d543094064b9ce991e8b054a9eec
93 Verifying Hash Integrity ... sha256+ OK
94 XIP Kernel Image (no loading done)
95 ## Transferring control to EFI (at address 404000d0) ...
98 See doc/uImage.FIT/howto.txt for an introduction to FIT images.
100 Configuring UEFI secure boot
101 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
103 The UEFI specification[1] defines a secure way of executing UEFI images
104 by verifying a signature (or message digest) of image with certificates.
105 This feature on U-Boot is enabled with::
107 CONFIG_UEFI_SECURE_BOOT=y
109 To make the boot sequence safe, you need to establish a chain of trust;
110 In UEFI secure boot the chain trust is defined by the following UEFI variables
113 * KEK - Key Exchange Keys
114 * db - white list database
115 * dbx - black list database
117 An in depth description of UEFI secure boot is beyond the scope of this
118 document. Please, refer to the UEFI specification and available online
119 documentation. Here is a simple example that you can follow for your initial
120 attempt (Please note that the actual steps will depend on your system and
123 Install the required tools on your host
129 Create signing keys and the key database on your host:
135 openssl req -x509 -sha256 -newkey rsa:2048 -subj /CN=TEST_PK/ \
136 -keyout PK.key -out PK.crt -nodes -days 365
137 cert-to-efi-sig-list -g 11111111-2222-3333-4444-123456789abc \
139 sign-efi-sig-list -c PK.crt -k PK.key PK PK.esl PK.auth
141 The key exchange keys
145 openssl req -x509 -sha256 -newkey rsa:2048 -subj /CN=TEST_KEK/ \
146 -keyout KEK.key -out KEK.crt -nodes -days 365
147 cert-to-efi-sig-list -g 11111111-2222-3333-4444-123456789abc \
149 sign-efi-sig-list -c PK.crt -k PK.key KEK KEK.esl KEK.auth
151 The whitelist database
155 $ openssl req -x509 -sha256 -newkey rsa:2048 -subj /CN=TEST_db/ \
156 -keyout db.key -out db.crt -nodes -days 365
157 $ cert-to-efi-sig-list -g 11111111-2222-3333-4444-123456789abc \
159 $ sign-efi-sig-list -c KEK.crt -k KEK.key db db.esl db.auth
161 Copy the \*.auth files to media, say mmc, that is accessible from U-Boot.
163 Sign an image with one of the keys in "db" on your host
167 sbsign --key db.key --cert db.crt helloworld.efi
169 Now in U-Boot install the keys on your board::
171 fatload mmc 0:1 <tmpaddr> PK.auth
172 setenv -e -nv -bs -rt -at -i <tmpaddr>,$filesize PK
173 fatload mmc 0:1 <tmpaddr> KEK.auth
174 setenv -e -nv -bs -rt -at -i <tmpaddr>,$filesize KEK
175 fatload mmc 0:1 <tmpaddr> db.auth
176 setenv -e -nv -bs -rt -at -i <tmpaddr>,$filesize db
178 Set up boot parameters on your board::
180 efidebug boot add 1 HELLO mmc 0:1 /helloworld.efi.signed ""
182 Now your board can run the signed image via the boot manager (see below).
183 You can also try this sequence by running Pytest, test_efi_secboot,
188 cd <U-Boot source directory>
189 pytest.py test/py/tests/test_efi_secboot/test_signed.py --bd sandbox
191 Executing the boot manager
192 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
194 The UEFI specification foresees to define boot entries and boot sequence via UEFI
195 variables. Booting according to these variables is possible via::
197 bootefi bootmgr [fdt address]
199 As of U-Boot v2018.03 UEFI variables are not persisted and cannot be set at
202 Executing the built in hello world application
203 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
205 A hello world UEFI application can be built with::
207 CONFIG_CMD_BOOTEFI_HELLO_COMPILE=y
209 It can be embedded into the U-Boot binary with::
211 CONFIG_CMD_BOOTEFI_HELLO=y
213 The bootefi command is used to start the embedded hello world application::
215 bootefi hello [fdt address]
217 Below you find the output of an example session::
219 => bootefi hello ${fdtcontroladdr}
220 ## Starting EFI application at 01000000 ...
221 WARNING: using memory device/image path, this may confuse some payloads!
226 Load options: root=/dev/sdb3 init=/sbin/init rootwait ro
227 ## Application terminated, r = 0
229 The environment variable fdtcontroladdr points to U-Boot's internal device tree
232 Executing the built-in self-test
233 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
235 An UEFI self-test suite can be embedded in U-Boot by building with::
237 CONFIG_CMD_BOOTEFI_SELFTEST=y
239 For testing the UEFI implementation the bootefi command can be used to start the
242 bootefi selftest [fdt address]
244 The environment variable 'efi_selftest' can be used to select a single test. If
245 it is not provided all tests are executed except those marked as 'on request'.
246 If the environment variable is set to 'list' a list of all tests is shown.
248 Below you can find the output of an example session::
250 => setenv efi_selftest simple network protocol
252 Testing EFI API implementation
253 Selected test: 'simple network protocol'
254 Setting up 'simple network protocol'
255 Setting up 'simple network protocol' succeeded
256 Executing 'simple network protocol'
258 DHCP reply received from 192.168.76.2 (52:55:c0:a8:4c:02)
259 as broadcast message.
260 Executing 'simple network protocol' succeeded
261 Tearing down 'simple network protocol'
262 Tearing down 'simple network protocol' succeeded
263 Boot services terminated
265 Preparing for reset. Press any key.
270 After the U-Boot platform has been initialized the UEFI API provides two kinds
276 The API can be extended by loading UEFI drivers which come in two variants:
281 UEFI drivers are installed with U-Boot's bootefi command. With the same command
282 UEFI applications can be executed.
284 Loaded images of UEFI drivers stay in memory after returning to U-Boot while
285 loaded images of applications are removed from memory.
287 An UEFI application (e.g. an operating system) that wants to take full control
288 of the system calls ExitBootServices. After a UEFI application calls
291 * boot services are not available anymore
292 * timer events are stopped
293 * the memory used by U-Boot except for runtime services is released
294 * the memory used by boot time drivers is released
296 So this is a point of no return. Afterwards the UEFI application can only return
297 to U-Boot by rebooting.
299 The UEFI object model
300 ---------------------
302 UEFI offers a flexible and expandable object model. The objects in the UEFI API
303 are devices, drivers, and loaded images. These objects are referenced by
306 The interfaces implemented by the objects are referred to as protocols. These
307 are identified by GUIDs. They can be installed and uninstalled by calling the
308 appropriate boot services.
310 Handles are created by the InstallProtocolInterface or the
311 InstallMultipleProtocolinterfaces service if NULL is passed as handle.
313 Handles are deleted when the last protocol has been removed with the
314 UninstallProtocolInterface or the UninstallMultipleProtocolInterfaces service.
316 Devices offer the EFI_DEVICE_PATH_PROTOCOL. A device path is the concatenation
317 of device nodes. By their device paths all devices of a system are arranged in a
320 Drivers offer the EFI_DRIVER_BINDING_PROTOCOL. This protocol is used to connect
321 a driver to devices (which are referenced as controllers in this context).
323 Loaded images offer the EFI_LOADED_IMAGE_PROTOCOL. This protocol provides meta
324 information about the image and a pointer to the unload callback function.
329 In the UEFI terminology an event is a data object referencing a notification
330 function which is queued for calling when the event is signaled. The following
331 types of events exist:
333 * periodic and single shot timer events
334 * exit boot services events, triggered by calling the ExitBootServices() service
335 * virtual address change events
336 * memory map change events
337 * read to boot events
338 * reset system events
339 * system table events
340 * events that are only triggered programmatically
342 Events can be created with the CreateEvent service and deleted with CloseEvent
345 Events can be assigned to an event group. If any of the events in a group is
346 signaled, all other events in the group are also set to the signaled state.
348 The UEFI driver model
349 ---------------------
351 A driver is specific for a single protocol installed on a device. To install a
352 driver on a device the ConnectController service is called. In this context
353 controller refers to the device for which the driver is installed.
355 The relevant drivers are identified using the EFI_DRIVER_BINDING_PROTOCOL. This
356 protocol has has three functions:
358 * supported - determines if the driver is compatible with the device
359 * start - installs the driver by opening the relevant protocol with
360 attribute EFI_OPEN_PROTOCOL_BY_DRIVER
361 * stop - uninstalls the driver
363 The driver may create child controllers (child devices). E.g. a driver for block
364 IO devices will create the device handles for the partitions. The child
365 controllers will open the supported protocol with the attribute
366 EFI_OPEN_PROTOCOL_BY_CHILD_CONTROLLER.
368 A driver can be detached from a device using the DisconnectController service.
370 U-Boot devices mapped as UEFI devices
371 -------------------------------------
373 Some of the U-Boot devices are mapped as UEFI devices
380 As of U-Boot 2018.03 the logic for doing this is hard coded.
382 The development target is to integrate the setup of these UEFI devices with the
383 U-Boot driver model [5]. So when a U-Boot device is discovered a handle should
384 be created and the device path protocol and the relevant IO protocol should be
385 installed. The UEFI driver then would be attached by calling ConnectController.
386 When a U-Boot device is removed DisconnectController should be called.
388 UEFI devices mapped as U-Boot devices
389 -------------------------------------
391 UEFI drivers binaries and applications may create new (virtual) devices, install
392 a protocol and call the ConnectController service. Now the matching UEFI driver
393 is determined by iterating over the implementations of the
394 EFI_DRIVER_BINDING_PROTOCOL.
396 It is the task of the UEFI driver to create a corresponding U-Boot device and to
397 proxy calls for this U-Boot device to the controller.
399 In U-Boot 2018.03 this has only been implemented for block IO devices.
404 An UEFI uclass driver (lib/efi_driver/efi_uclass.c) has been created that
405 takes care of initializing the UEFI drivers and providing the
406 EFI_DRIVER_BINDING_PROTOCOL implementation for the UEFI drivers.
408 A linker created list is used to keep track of the UEFI drivers. To create an
409 entry in the list the UEFI driver uses the U_BOOT_DRIVER macro specifying
410 UCLASS_EFI as the ID of its uclass, e.g::
412 /* Identify as UEFI driver */
413 U_BOOT_DRIVER(efi_block) = {
414 .name = "EFI block driver",
419 The available operations are defined via the structure struct efi_driver_ops::
421 struct efi_driver_ops {
422 const efi_guid_t *protocol;
423 const efi_guid_t *child_protocol;
424 int (*bind)(efi_handle_t handle, void *interface);
427 When the supported() function of the EFI_DRIVER_BINDING_PROTOCOL is called the
428 uclass checks if the protocol GUID matches the protocol GUID of the UEFI driver.
429 In the start() function the bind() function of the UEFI driver is called after
431 The stop() function of the EFI_DRIVER_BINDING_PROTOCOL disconnects the child
432 controllers created by the UEFI driver and the UEFI driver. (In U-Boot v2013.03
433 this is not yet completely implemented.)
438 The UEFI block IO driver supports devices exposing the EFI_BLOCK_IO_PROTOCOL.
440 When connected it creates a new U-Boot block IO device with interface type
441 IF_TYPE_EFI, adds child controllers mapping the partitions, and installs the
442 EFI_SIMPLE_FILE_SYSTEM_PROTOCOL on these. This can be used together with the
443 software iPXE to boot from iSCSI network drives [4].
445 This driver is only available if U-Boot is configured with::
456 The load file 2 protocol can be used by the Linux kernel to load the initial
457 RAM disk. U-Boot can be configured to provide an implementation with::
459 EFI_LOAD_FILE2_INITRD=y
460 EFI_INITRD_FILESPEC=interface dev:part path_to_initrd
465 * [1] http://uefi.org/specifications - UEFI specifications
466 * [2] https://github.com/ARM-software/ebbr/releases/download/v1.0/ebbr-v1.0.pdf -
467 Embedded Base Boot Requirements (EBBR) Specification - Release v1.0
468 * [3] https://developer.arm.com/docs/den0044/latest/server-base-boot-requirements-system-software-on-arm-platforms-version-11 -
469 Server Base Boot Requirements System Software on ARM Platforms - Version 1.1
471 * [5] :doc:`../driver-model/index`