202.3. Alternate Bootloaders
202.3 Alternate Bootloaders
Weight: 2
Description: Candidates should be aware of other bootloaders and their major features.
Key Knowledge Areas:
SYSLINUX, ISOLINUX, PXELINUX
Understanding of PXE for both BIOS and UEFI
Awareness of systemd-boot and U-Boot
Terms and Utilities:
syslinux
extlinux
isolinux.bin
isolinux.cfg
isohdpfx.bin
efiboot.img
pxelinux.0
pxelinux.cfg/
uefi/shim.efi
uefi/grubx64.efi
The grandfather of all linux boot loaders is LiLo (Linux boot Loader). LiLo has its configuration file in /etc/lilo.conf which was compiled to binary and reside on first sectors of hard disk. But all those good days of simplicity have been passed.
#sample lilo.conf of system configured to boot 2 operating system.boot=/dev/hdamap=/boot/mapinstall=/boot/boot.bprompttimeout=50message=/boot/messagelba32default=linuximage=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.0-0.43.6label=linuxinitrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.0-0.43.6.imgread-onlyroot=/dev/hda5other=/dev/hda1label=dos
LiLo has some shortages which is way grub and grub2 has developed. But beside these Boot Loaders there are some other Boot Loaders which are not leaders but have been developed for specific purposes. As not all system has ext file system, we might need to load linux from inside of other files systems or partitions:
Boor Loader | Supported File System(s) | Used Media |
syslinux | ms-dos (FAT32) | USB |
ext linux | FAT32 , ext3, ext4 | usually used on Hard Disk |
iso linux | create .iso files | CD/DVD |
Lets try syslinux , we want to make a bootable usb disk using syslinux on 8 gig flash with FAT32 file system:
root@server1:~# lsblkNAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTsdb 8:16 1 7.5G 0 disk└─sdb1 8:17 1 7.5G 0 part /media/myflashsr0 11:0 1 1.5G 0 rom /media/payam/Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS amd64fd0 2:0 1 4K 0 disksda 8:0 0 50G 0 disk├─sda2 8:2 0 1K 0 part├─sda5 8:5 0 1021M 0 part [SWAP]└─sda1 8:1 0 49G 0 part /root@server1:~# umount /media/myflashroot@server1:~# mkfs.vfat -F 32 -n KING8GIG /dev/sdb1mkfs.fat 3.0.28 (2015-05-16)root@server1:~# fdisk -l /dev/sdb1Disk /dev/sdb1: 7.5 GiB, 8026849280 bytes, 15677440 sectorsUnits: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytesSector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytesI/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytesDisklabel type: dosDisk identifier: 0x00000000
Lets install syslinux in our system:
root@server1:~# apt install syslinux syslinux-utils
And install syslinux on the flash:
root@server1:~# syslinux -maf /dev/sdb1
This command copy tiny file /usr/lib/syslinux/mbr/mbr.bin on the first 512 bytes of flash disk and make it bootbale.
root@server1:~# mount /dev/sdb1 /media/myflash/root@server1:~# mkdir /media/myflash/syslinuxroot@server1:~# cp /usr/lib/syslinux/modules/bios/{libcom32.c32,libutil.c32,vesamenu.c32} /media/myflash/syslinux/
make a folder in order to put linux sources there:
root@server1:~# mkdir /media/myflash/isoroot@server1:~# mkdir /media/myflash/iso/ubuntu_1604
syslinux configuration file is syslinux.cfg, create like this:
DEFAULT Ubuntu_1604PROMPT 0allowoptions 0TIMEOUT 100UI vesamenu.c32MENU syslinux USB Multiboot KeyLABEL Ubuntu_1604MENU LABEL Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tharkernel /syslinux/iso/ubuntu_1604/casper/vmlinuz.efiappend initrd=/syslinux/iso/ubuntu_1604/casper/initrd.lz live-media-path=/syslinux/iso/ubuntu_1604/casper boot=live console-setup/layoutcode=it ignore_uuid boot=casper quiet splash --LABEL 2nd OSMENU LABEL Your 2nd OSkernelappendLABEL 3rd OSMENU LABEL Your 3rd OSkernelappend
Now make desired folder in /syslinux/iso/... and copy source files:
root@server1:~# mkdir /media/myflash/syslinux/isoroot@server1:~# mkdir /media/myflash/syslinux/iso/ubuntu_1404root@server1:~# mkdir /media/ubuntu1404root@server1:~# mount -t iso9660 -o loop,ro /tmp/ubuntu-14.04.3-desktop-amd64.iso /media/ubuntu1404/root@server1:~# cp -r /media/ubuntu1404/* /media/myflash/syslinux/iso/ubuntu_1404/cp: cannot create symbolic link '/media/myflash/syslinux/iso/ubuntu_1404/dists/stable': Operation not permittedcp: cannot create symbolic link '/media/myflash/syslinux/iso/ubuntu_1404/dists/unstable': Operation not permittedcp: cannot create symbolic link '/media/myflash/syslinux/iso/ubuntu_1404/ubuntu': Operation not permitted
as we are using FAT32 file system symbolic links are not supported so that right, lets chek:
extlinux is another member of syslinux family, lets install and use it intead of grub in our system:
root@server1:~# apt install extlinux syslinux-commonroot@server1:~# extlinux --install /boot/extlinux//boot/extlinux/ is device /dev/sda1root@server1:~# dd if=/usr/lib/syslinux/mbr/mbr.bin of=/dev/sda0+1 records in0+1 records out440 bytes copied, 0.0061595 s, 71.4 kB/sroot@server1:~# cp /usr/lib/syslinux/modules/bios/{libcom32.c32,libutil.c32,vesamenu.c32} /boot/extlinux/
and create syslinux.cfg in /boot/extlinux/ directory like this:
PROMPT 0TIMEOUT 100UI vesamenu.c32MENU TITLE extlinux bootloader menulabel Ubuntumenu label Ubuntu 16.04.3kernel /boot/vmlinuz-4.10.0-28-genericappend root=/dev/sda1 initrd=/boot/initrd.img-4.10.0-28-generic
and enjoy the result:
root@server1:~# wget https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/syslinux-6.03.tar.gzroot@server1:~# tar -xvf syslinux-6.03.tar.gzroot@server1:~# ls -ltotal 11404drwxrwxr-x 33 1026 1026 4096 Oct 6 2014 syslinux-6.03-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 11671940 Oct 6 2014 syslinux-6.03.tar.gzroot@server1:~# mkdir cdrootroot@server1:~# cp syslinux-6.03/bios/core/isolinux.bin cdroot/root@server1:~# cp syslinux-6.03/bios/com32/elflink/ldlinux/ldlinux.c32 cdroot/root@server1:~# cp syslinux-6.03/bios/com32/lib/libcom32.c32 cdroot/root@server1:~# cp syslinux-6.03/bios/com32/libutil/libutil.c32 cdroot/root@server1:~# cp syslinux-6.03/bios/com32/menu/vesamenu.c32 cdroot/root@server1:~# cp /boot/vmlinuz-4.10.0-28-generic cdroot/vmlinuzroot@server1:~# cp /boot/initrd.img-4.10.0-28-generic cdroot/initrd
now create isolinux.cfg file insode cdroot/ directory :
PROMPT 0TIMEOUT 100UI vesamenu.c32MENU TITLE isolinux bootloader menulabel Ubuntumenu label Ubuntu 16.04.3kernel vmlinuzappend initrd=initrd root=/dev/sda1
Lets create bootable media from folder that we have made:
root@server1:~# cp syslinux-6.03/bios/core/isolinux.bin .root@server1:~# mkisofs -o bootcd.iso -b isolinux.bin -c boot.cat -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table -input-charset utf8 cdrootSize of boot image is 4 sectors -> No emulation20.58% done, estimate finish Sun Dec 24 00:31:31 201741.09% done, estimate finish Sun Dec 24 00:31:33 201761.66% done, estimate finish Sun Dec 24 00:31:32 201782.17% done, estimate finish Sun Dec 24 00:31:32 2017Total translation table size: 2048Total rockridge attributes bytes: 0Total directory bytes: 0Path table size(bytes): 10Max brk space used 024339 extents written (47 MB)
and lets boot the system with bootcd.iso :
you can see that the system will be booted up using initrd and vmlinuz that we have put in CD and then follow next required steps from hard disk.
As we have talked uefi runs everything which we have put inside EFI System Partition, special FAT32 partition. So from security perspective its some how dangerous. Because boot loaders might be changed or manipulated.To avoid that we can digitally sign boot loaders. But the problem is that boot loaders update! They are changed time to time. Using a tiny fix boot loader before main boot bootloader which loads before main bootloader(grub) and run it in sub sequence. So in case of update or upgrade this tiny boot loader remains safe and secure and just watch for grub folder changes in order to refer to it. this tine bootloader is shim.efi.
root@server3:/boot/efi/EFI/ubuntu# pwd/boot/efi/EFI/ubunturoot@server3:/boot/efi/EFI/ubuntu# tree.├── fw├── fwupx64.efi├── grub.cfg├── grubx64.efi├── mmx64.efi└── shimx64.efi1 directory, 5 filesroot@server3:/boot/efi/EFI/ubuntu# dpkg -S shimx64.efishim: /usr/lib/shim/shimx64.efishim-signed: /usr/lib/shim/shimx64.efi.signed
lets take a look at inside and verify if its calling grub:
root@server3:/boot/efi/EFI/ubuntu# hexdump -C shimx64.efi | egrep -i -C 2 'grub|g.r.u.b'000ab900 74 00 20 00 4d 00 6f 00 6b 00 49 00 67 00 6e 00 |t. .M.o.k.I.g.n.|000ab910 6f 00 72 00 65 00 44 00 42 00 3a 00 20 00 25 00 |o.r.e.D.B.:. .%.|000ab920 72 00 0a 00 00 00 5c 00 67 00 72 00 75 00 62 00 |r.....\.g.r.u.b.|000ab930 78 00 36 00 34 00 2e 00 65 00 66 00 69 00 00 00 |x.6.4...e.f.i...|000ab940 46 00 61 00 69 00 6c 00 65 00 64 00 20 00 74 00 |F.a.i.l.e.d. .t.|--000abcb0 69 00 6e 00 20 00 69 00 6e 00 73 00 65 00 63 00 |i.n. .i.n.s.e.c.|000abcc0 75 00 72 00 65 00 20 00 6d 00 6f 00 64 00 65 00 |u.r.e. .m.o.d.e.|000abcd0 0a 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 5c 67 72 75 62 78 36 34 |........\grubx64|000abce0 2e 65 66 69 00 74 66 74 70 3a 2f 2f 00 00 00 00 |.efi.tftp://....|000abcf0 55 00 52 00 4c 00 53 00 20 00 4d 00 55 00 53 00 |U.R.L.S. .M.U.S.|--00111990 58 35 30 39 5f 41 54 54 52 49 42 55 54 45 5f 63 |X509_ATTRIBUTE_c|001119a0 72 65 61 74 65 5f 62 79 5f 4f 42 4a 00 69 6e 69 |reate_by_OBJ.ini|001119b0 74 5f 67 72 75 62 00 58 35 30 39 5f 74 72 75 73 |t_grub.X509_trus|001119c0 74 5f 63 6c 65 61 72 00 42 49 4f 5f 73 5f 6e 75 |t_clear.BIO_s_nu|001119d0 6c 6c 00 58 35 30 39 76 33 5f 67 65 74 5f 65 78 |ll.X509v3_get_ex|
and to see what is inside grubx64.efi:
root@server3:/boot/efi/EFI/ubuntu# strings grubx64.efi | grep grub.cfg%s/grub.cfgroot@server3:/boot/efi/EFI/ubuntu# dpkg -S shimx64.efishim: /usr/lib/shim/shimx64.efishim-signed: /usr/lib/shim/shimx64.efi.signed
Up to now we have booted up our system with Hard Disk, USB drive and CD/DVD ROM. The last topic here is booting up your system trough the network. Pixie or Pre Execution Environment is a name which is called to this environment. It describe standardize client-server environment at which client has a pxe-support network interface and its able to boot up from the network. Obviously client cant be alone in this environment and we need DHCP, TFTP and nfs servers.
When Client boots up it starts asking for an ip address, DHCP server receives its requests and as our client is pxe-support, DHCP gives it an IP Address and the IP address of TFTP server and required files. Now taht client has an IP address goes for TFTP server and download boot loader and the kernel stuff form TFTP server. Kernel and its modules are downloaded by the client trough the network and they are loaded into RAM. And part of kernel loading process it Tries to mount root partition by mounting it from a NFS server. and system boots up .
