NAME

       mvrefind - Move a rEFInd installation from one location to another

SYNOPSIS

       mvrefind SOURCE DEST

DESCRIPTION

       Move a rEFInd installation from SOURCE to DEST, where both SOURCE and DEST are directories
       on the EFI System Partition (ESP), with SOURCE containing a working  rEFInd  installation.
       This operation entails taking several actions:

       *      Renaming the SOURCE directory to DEST.

       *      Renaming  the  rEFInd  binary  to  a suitable value given the new destination.  For
              instance, if DEST is EFI/BOOT on the EFI System Partition (ESP), the rEFInd  binary
              should  be  bootx64.efi  (or  something  similar  but with a different architecture
              code).

       *      Altering the computer's NVRAM entries to point to rEFInd at its new location.

       *      If Shim is detected, renaming operations and  NVRAM  entry  pointers  are  adjusted
              appropriately.

       *      If the DEST exists, its contents are preserved.

       Broadly  speaking, mvrefind understands three types of locations for both SOURCE and DEST,
       relative to the root of the ESP:

       *      EFI/BOOT -- The bootx64.efi (or similar for other architectures) filename  in  this
              location is the "fallback filename," which is used by removable boot media and as a
              boot loader of last resort on hard disks. Some EFIs  can't  remember  their  normal
              boot  entries,  and  on them, rEFInd must be installed here (or as the Windows boot
              loader). When this directory is the  DEST  and  it  already  exists,  the  existing
              EFI/BOOT  is  backed up to EFI/BOOT-rEFIndBackup; and if the SOURCE is EFI/BOOT and
              EFI/BOOT-rEFIndBackup exists, it is renamed to EFI/BOOT after rEFInd  is  moved  to
              its destination.

       *      EFI/Microsoft/boot  --  The  bootmgfw.efi  file in this location normally holds the
              Windows boot loader. Machines with broken EFIs may refuse  to  accept  or  remember
              proper  boot  entries and will instead boot this entry in preference to all others.
              In such cases, using rEFInd requires moving the Microsoft boot loader elsewhere and
              replacing  it  with  rEFInd.   When  this directory is the DEST, mvrefind moves the
              original  bootmgfw.efi  file  down  one  level  (to   EFI/Microsoft)   and   stores
              refind_x64.efi  (or  Shim)  in  that location. When moving from EFI/Microsoft/boot,
              this process is reversed.

       *      Anything else -- Any other SOURCE or DEST location is treated as a  regular  rEFInd
              installation, with a proper NVRAM entry created by efibootmgr.

       mvrefind  attempts  to  identify the ESP and refuses to move between the ESP and any other
       partition. When it does move files, it moves the main rEFInd binary, the refind.conf file,
       any   identified   Shim   binary,   and  the  icons,  icons-backup,  drivers_*,  and  keys
       subdirectories. If other rEFInd files or directories are present  in  SOURCE  (such  as  a
       custom  theme/icons  directory),  they  will  not  be  moved. If SOURCE is empty after the
       specified files and subdirectories are moved, SOURCE will be deleted.

AUTHORS

       Primary author: Roderick W. Smith (rodsmith@rodsbooks.com)

SEE ALSO

       mkrlconf(8), refind-install(8).

       https://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/

AVAILABILITY

       The mvrefind command is part of the rEFInd package  and  is  available  from  Roderick  W.
       Smith.