BIOS and UEFI
GRand Unified Bootloader (GRUB)
The GRUB is used to manage and boot up linux operating systems on computers that do not have UEFI, or at least have UEFI disabled (also known as running in Legacy Mode).
Computers sold prior to the release and pre-installation of Windows 8 - which introduced UEFI - will therefore use the GRUB.
- How to install MDM, GDM, KDM, LXDM, SDDM, and SLiM.
- How-To start Openbox without a login manager.
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)
UEFI was introduced with Windows 8 as a replacement / upgrade to the BIOS system. One example of this upgrade is that it allows for computers to use hard-disks larger than 2 Terrabytes (2,000 Gigabytes). Unfortunately, UEFI was also secretly manipulated by Microsoft in tandem with certain hardware manufacturers to prevent - or at least make it very difficult - to remove and replace Windows 8 with another operating system.
For example, other - competing - operating systems must currently seek permission to be "authorised" by Microsoft in order to be installed on UEFI systems. This "feature" can be disabled, albeit after warnings about "security", as well as the need to enter in a code. Even then, the UEFI will likely be configured to ignore any other installed systems and either boot into Windows 8 anyway.
AS UEFI systems still contain the old BIOS system, UEFI can be disabled or even removed completely to run in "Legacy Mode". The author did so with a laptop using a 1 Terrabyte (TB) hard-disk, which the BIOS can handle.
- Customise LXDM used by the XFCE, Cinnamon and Openbox flavours
- Configure SliM to launch desktop environments, enable auto-login, and change themes.
- Bypass the login screen to get straight to your desktop (Manjaro 0.8.0).