Vincent J. Zimmer

UEFI: From Reset Vector to Operating System

In PCs, the firmware that sits at the reset vector is called a BIOS. The BIOS has increased in size, complexity, and extensions apace with the complexity and richness of PCs. The increases have finally reached the point that no amount of patching will fix the old architecture. The new architecture, known as the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) [UEFc,ZRH] and Platform Initialization (PI) [UEFb] keep the learning’s of the last years but impose a modern software engineering structure that supports the basic requirements of system initialization, configuration, and abstraction of boot devices, but which is also designed to be extensible enough to address the new features of hardware to come.

Beyond BIOS: Developing with the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, Third Edition

This book provides an overview of modern boot firmware, including the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (Uefi) and its associated Efi Developer Kit Ii (Edkii) firmware. The authors have each made significant contributions to developments in these areas. The reader will learn to use the latest developments in Uefi on modern hardware, including open source firmware and open hardware designs. The book begins with an exploration of interfaces exposed to higher-level software and operating systems, and commences to the left of the boot timeline, describing the flow of typical systems, beginning with the machine restart event. Software engineers working with Uefi will benefit greatly from this book, while specific sections of the book address topics relevant for a general audience: system architects, pre-operating-system application developers, operating system vendors (loader, kernel), independent hardware vendors (such as for plug-in adapters), and developers of end-user applications. As a secondary audience, project technical leaders or managers may be interested in this book to get a feel for what their engineers are doing. The reader will find: * An overview of Uefi and underlying Platform Initialization (Pi) specifications * How to create Uefi applications and drivers * Workflow to design the firmware solution for a modern platform * Advanced usages of Uefi firmware for security and manageability

Harnessing the UEFI Shell: Moving the Platform Beyond DOS, Second Edition

In Harnessing the UEFI Shell the authors describe the features and capabilities of the UEFI Shell, with detailed descriptions of how to use it, including many real life examples including specialized memory tests for chip and board validation and manufacturing validation tests. Written specifically for the practicing software engineer, this book enables the reader to quickly become proficient in using and exploiting the UEFI Shell.