239 lines
8.6 KiB
Markdown
239 lines
8.6 KiB
Markdown
# Limine
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### What is Limine?
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Limine is a modern, advanced x86/x86_64 BIOS/UEFI multiprotocol bootloader used
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as the reference implementation for the
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[stivale protocols](https://github.com/stivale/stivale).
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### Support Limine
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Like Limine and want to support it? Donate Bitcoin to
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`bc1q00d59y75crpapw7qp8sea5j5sx6l4k2ssjylf9` :)
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### Limine's boot menu
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[Photo by Chris Kane from Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/photo/reflection-of-building-on-body-of-water-at-daytime-166360/)
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### Supported boot protocols
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* stivale and stivale2 (Limine's native boot protocols, see [their specifications](https://github.com/stivale/stivale) for details)
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* Linux
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* Multiboot 1
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* Multiboot 2
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* Chainloading
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### Supported filesystems
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* ext2/3/4
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* echfs
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* FAT12/16/32
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* ISO9660 (CDs/DVDs)
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### Supported partitioning schemes
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* MBR
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* GPT
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* Unpartitioned media
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## Binary releases
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For convenience, for point releases, binaries are distributed. These binaries
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are shipped in the `-binary` branches and tags of this repository
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(see [branches](https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine/branches/all) and
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[tags](https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine/tags)).
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For example, to clone the latest binary release of the `v2.x` branch one can do
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```bash
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git clone https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine.git --branch=v2.0-branch-binary --depth=1
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```
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or, to clone a specific binary point release (for example v2.65)
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```bash
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git clone https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine.git --branch=v2.65-binary --depth=1
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```
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Additionally, the absolute latest Limine binary release can be obtained by
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fetching the `latest-binary` branch:
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```bash
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git clone https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine.git --branch=latest-binary --depth=1
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```
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`limine-install` binaries are provided for Linux and Windows.
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In case one wants to rebuild `limine-install`, simply use `make` in the binary
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release.
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## Building the bootloader
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*These steps are not necessary if cloning a binary release. If so, skip to*
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*"Installing Limine binaries".*
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### Building the toolchain
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This step can take a long time, but it will ensure that the toolchain will work
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with Limine. If on an x86_64 host, with GCC or Clang installed, you can skip to
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the next paragraph in order to use the system's toolchain instead.
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The toolchain's build process depends on the following packages: `GNU make`,
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`curl`, `gzip`, `bzip2`, `gcc/clang`, `g++/clang++`.
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Building the toolchain can be accomplished by running:
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```bash
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make toolchain # (or gmake where applicable)
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```
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### Building Limine
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In order to build Limine, the following packages have to be installed:
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`GNU make`, `nasm`, `mtools` (optional, necessary to build
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`limine-eltorito-efi.bin`).
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Furthermore, either the toolchain must have been built in the previous
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paragraph, or `gcc` or `llvm/clang` must also be installed.
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`GNU binutils` is necessary in order to build the UEFI ports of Limine. A full
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LLVM toolchain without `GNU binutils` can be used to build just the BIOS port
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instead.
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Both the UEFI and BIOS ports of the bootloader can be built, using
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`GCC/GNU binutils` (which includes the shipped toolchain), with:
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```bash
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make # (or gmake where applicable)
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```
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It is possible to pass `make` additional flags, most relevantly,
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`TOOLCHAIN=`, which allows one to specify an alternative toolchain for the build
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system to use (the default is `limine`, resulting in program names like `limine-gcc`,
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falling back to no-prefix, or host, toolchain), and `BUILDDIR=`, which specifies an
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alternative build directory (for example, out of tree - the default is `./build`).
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The generated bootloader files are going to be in `$BUILDDIR/bin` (by default that
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is `./build/bin`).
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#### Using clang/LLVM
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In order to build the BIOS port fully using clang/LLVM, run `make` as such:
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```bash
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# (or gmake where applicable)
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make limine-bios limine-install CC="clang" TOOLCHAIN="llvm" TOOLCHAIN_CC="clang" TOOLCHAIN_LD="ld.lld"
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```
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And in order to build the UEFI port using clang/LLVM + `GNU binutils`, run
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`make` as such:
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```bash
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# (or gmake where applicable)
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make limine-uefi TOOLCHAIN="llvm" TOOLCHAIN_CC="clang" TOOLCHAIN_LD="ld" TOOLCHAIN_OBJCOPY="objcopy"
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```
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Where `ld` and `objcopy` refer to GNU binutils versions of them. Specify their
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full path if necessary.
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## Installing Limine binaries
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This step is optional as the bootloader binaries can be used from the `bin` or
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release directory just fine. This step will only install them to a `share` and
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`bin` directories in the specified `PREFIX` (default is `/usr/local`).
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Use `make install` to install the Limine binaries, optionally specifying a
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different prefix with `make install PREFIX=/myprefix`.
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## How to use
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### UEFI
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The `BOOTX64.EFI` file is a vaild EFI application that can be simply copied to
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the `/EFI/BOOT` directory of a FAT formatted EFI system partition. This file can
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be installed there and coexist with a BIOS installation of Limine (see below) so
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that the disk will be bootable on both BIOS and UEFI systems.
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The boot device must to contain the `limine.cfg` file in
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either the root or the `boot` directory of one of the partitions, formatted
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with a supported file system (the ESP partition is recommended).
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### BIOS/MBR
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In order to install Limine on a MBR device (which can just be a raw image file),
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run `limine-install` as such:
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```bash
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limine-install <path to device/image>
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```
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The boot device must to contain the `limine.sys` and `limine.cfg` files in
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either the root or the `boot` directory of one of the partitions, formatted
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with a supported file system.
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### BIOS/GPT
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If using a GPT formatted device, there are 2 options one can follow for
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installation:
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* Specifying a dedicated stage 2 partition.
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* Letting `limine-install` attempt to embed stage 2 within GPT structures.
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In case one wants to specify a stage 2 partition, create a partition on the GPT
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device of at least 32KiB in size, and pass the 1-based number of the partition
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to `limine-install` as a second argument; such as:
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```bash
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limine-install <path to device/image> <1-based stage 2 partition number>
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```
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In case one wants to let `limine-install` embed stage 2 within GPT's structures,
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simply omit the partition number, and invoke `limine-install` the same as one
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would do for an MBR partitioned device.
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The boot device must to contain the `limine.sys` and `limine.cfg` files in
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either the root or the `boot` directory of one of the partitions, formatted
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with a supported file system.
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### BIOS/UEFI hybrid ISO creation
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In order to create a hybrid ISO with Limine, place the
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`limine-eltorito-efi.bin`, `limine-cd.bin`, `limine.sys`, and `limine.cfg` files
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into a directory which will serve as the root of the created ISO.
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(`limine.sys` and `limine.cfg` must either be in the root or inside a `boot`
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subdirectory; `limine-eltorito-efi.bin` and `limine-cd.bin` can reside
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anywhere).
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Place any other file you want to be on the final ISO in said directory, then
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run:
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```
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xorriso -as mkisofs -b <relative path of limine-cd.bin> \
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-no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table \
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--efi-boot <relative path of limine-eltorito-efi.bin> \
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-efi-boot-part --efi-boot-image --protective-msdos-label \
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<root directory> -o image.iso
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```
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*Note: `xorriso` is required.*
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And do not forget to also run `limine-install` on the generated image:
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```
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limine-install image.iso
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```
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`<relative path of limine-cd.bin>` is the relative path of
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`limine-cd.bin` inside the root directory.
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For example, if it was copied in `<root directory>/boot/limine-cd.bin`,
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it would be `boot/limine-cd.bin`.
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`<relative path of limine-eltorito-efi.bin>` is the relative path of
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`limine-eltorito-efi.bin` inside the root directory.
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For example, if it was copied in
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`<root directory>/boot/limine-eltorito-efi.bin`, it would be
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`boot/limine-eltorito-efi.bin`.
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### BIOS/PXE boot
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The `limine-pxe.bin` binary is a valid PXE boot image.
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In order to boot Limine from PXE it is necessary to setup a DHCP server with
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support for PXE booting. This can either be accomplished using a single DHCP
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server or your existing DHCP server and a proxy DHCP server such as dnsmasq.
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`limine.cfg` and `limine.sys` are expected to be on the server used for boot.
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### Configuration
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The `limine.cfg` file contains Limine's configuration.
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An example `limine.cfg` file can be found in [`test/limine.cfg`](https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine/blob/trunk/test/limine.cfg).
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More info on the format of `limine.cfg` can be found in [`CONFIG.md`](https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine/blob/trunk/CONFIG.md).
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## Acknowledgments
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Limine uses a stripped-down version of [tinf](https://github.com/jibsen/tinf).
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## Discord server
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We have a [Discord server](https://discord.gg/QEeZMz4) if you need support,
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info, or you just want to hang out with us.
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