UEFI boot options may exist but have the LOAD_OPTION_ACTIVE flag
cleared. This means that the boot option should not be selected
by default, but it does not mean it should be omitted from the
boot selection presented by the boot manager: for this purpose,
another flag LOAD_OPTION_HIDDEN exists.
Given that the latter flag exists solely for the purpose of omitting
boot options from the boot selection menu, and LOAD_OPTION_XXX flags
can be combined if desired, hiding inactive boot options as well is
a mistake, and violates the intent of paragraph 3.1.3 of the UEFI
specification (revision 2.8 errata A). Let's fix this by dropping
the LOAD_OPTION_ACTIVE check from the code that populates the boot
selection menu.
Signed-off-by: Ard Biesheuvel <ard.biesheuvel@...>
---
MdeModulePkg/Library/BootManagerUiLib/BootManager.c | 4 ++--
1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
diff --git a/MdeModulePkg/Library/BootManagerUiLib/BootManager.c b/MdeModulePkg/Library/BootManagerUiLib/BootManager.c
index 13b40e11b396..4b2c4c77a124 100644
--- a/MdeModulePkg/Library/BootManagerUiLib/BootManager.c
+++ b/MdeModulePkg/Library/BootManagerUiLib/BootManager.c
@@ -535,9 +535,9 @@ UpdateBootManager (
mKeyInput++;
//
- // Don't display the hidden/inactive boot option
+ // Don't display hidden boot options, but retain inactive ones.
//
- if (((BootOption[Index].Attributes & LOAD_OPTION_HIDDEN) != 0) || ((BootOption[Index].Attributes & LOAD_OPTION_ACTIVE) == 0)) {
+ if ((BootOption[Index].Attributes & LOAD_OPTION_HIDDEN) != 0) {
continue;
}

-----Original Message-----
From: Ard Biesheuvel <ard.biesheuvel@...>
Sent: Tuesday, June 2, 2020 4:26 PM
To: devel@edk2.groups.io
Cc: jon@...; Laszlo Ersek <lersek@...>; Leif Lindholm
<leif@...>; Ni, Ray <ray.ni@...>; Gao, Zhichao
<zhichao.gao@...>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2 3/5] MdeModulePkg/BootManagerUiLib: show
inactive boot options

Ray, Zhichao,

Do you have any comments on this patch?


On 5/28/20 11:17 AM, Ard Biesheuvel wrote:

UEFI boot options may exist but have the LOAD_OPTION_ACTIVE flag
cleared. This means that the boot option should not be selected by
default, but it does not mean it should be omitted from the boot
selection presented by the boot manager: for this purpose, another
flag LOAD_OPTION_HIDDEN exists.

Given that the latter flag exists solely for the purpose of omitting
boot options from the boot selection menu, and LOAD_OPTION_XXX flags
can be combined if desired, hiding inactive boot options as well is a
mistake, and violates the intent of paragraph 3.1.3 of the UEFI
specification (revision 2.8 errata A). Let's fix this by dropping the
LOAD_OPTION_ACTIVE check from the code that populates the boot
selection menu.

Signed-off-by: Ard Biesheuvel <ard.biesheuvel@...>
---
MdeModulePkg/Library/BootManagerUiLib/BootManager.c | 4 ++--
1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/MdeModulePkg/Library/BootManagerUiLib/BootManager.c
b/MdeModulePkg/Library/BootManagerUiLib/BootManager.c
index 13b40e11b396..4b2c4c77a124 100644
--- a/MdeModulePkg/Library/BootManagerUiLib/BootManager.c
+++ b/MdeModulePkg/Library/BootManagerUiLib/BootManager.c
@@ -535,9 +535,9 @@ UpdateBootManager (
mKeyInput++;

//
- // Don't display the hidden/inactive boot option
+ // Don't display hidden boot options, but retain inactive ones.
//
- if (((BootOption[Index].Attributes & LOAD_OPTION_HIDDEN) != 0) ||

((BootOption[Index].Attributes & LOAD_OPTION_ACTIVE) == 0)) {

+ if ((BootOption[Index].Attributes & LOAD_OPTION_HIDDEN) != 0) {
continue;
}

-----Original Message-----
From: Ard Biesheuvel <ard.biesheuvel@...>
Sent: Tuesday, June 2, 2020 5:27 PM
To: Gao, Zhichao <zhichao.gao@...>; devel@edk2.groups.io
Cc: jon@...; Laszlo Ersek <lersek@...>; Leif Lindholm
<leif@...>; Ni, Ray <ray.ni@...>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2 3/5] MdeModulePkg/BootManagerUiLib: show
inactive boot options



On 6/2/20 11:11 AM, Gao, Zhichao wrote:

Hi Ard,

Form the Uefi spec:
'''
If a load option is marked as LOAD_OPTION_ACTIVE, the boot manager
will attempt to boot automatically using the device path information
in the load option. This provides an easy way to disable or enable load

options without needing to delete and re-add them.

'''
The ACTIVE flag seems to enable/disable the option.

Sure. But this change does not affect what gets booted automatically, it
changes what gets presented as available options in the UiApp boot manager
menu.

To hide options from this menu, a different flag HIDDEN is provided. The UEFI
spec clearly mentions that
- the ACTIVE flag defines which boot options may be booted *automatically*
- the HIDDEN flag defines which boot options are hidden from the menu
which allows options to be booted *manually*

So preventing ACTIVE options from being booted manually is incorrect.
That is what the patch fixes.

'''
Boot#### load options with LOAD_OPTION_CATEGORY set to
LOAD_OPTION_CATEGORY_APP are executables which are not part of the
normal boot processing but can be optionally chosen for execution if
boot menu is provided, or via Hot Keys. See Section 3.1.6 for details '''
There is another flag to implement your function. The option with ACTIVE |

CATEGORY | CATEGORY_APP should show in the boot menu but not in the
normal boot flow.

But this prevents me from setting BootNext to the Shell option, and boot it
automatically on the next boot, right?