Graphical boot loader extensions for non-x86 architectures

Registered by Colin Watson

In Dapper, we added gfxboot to our amd64 and i386 CD images, providing a friendly graphical boot menu as the first thing users see when booting Ubuntu CD images on those architectures. Unfortunately, gfxboot is currently a huge pile of x86 assembly, and cannot be ported to other architectures (such as powerpc) without a total rewrite; furthermore it relies on the x86 BIOS and VGA so it won't work on Intel-based Macs without BootCamp. Research the feasibility of gradually rewriting the architecture-independent parts of gfxboot, chiefly the language interpreter, in C; it will then be possible to support other systems with a much smaller amount of work.

Blueprint information

Status:
Not started
Approver:
Matt Zimmerman
Priority:
Low
Drafter:
Colin Watson
Direction:
Needs approval
Assignee:
None
Definition:
New
Series goal:
None
Implementation:
Unknown
Milestone target:
None

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