GRUB-MKIMAGE(1)

✨ NAME ✨

grub-mkimage — bestie, this is the one that makes a bootable image of GRUB. like, literally builds you a bootable GRUB image. 💅

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

grub-mkimage [OPTION...] [OPTION]... [MODULES]

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

Okay so real talk: make a bootable image of GRUB. that's the whole vibe. you hand it your options and your MODULES, it hands you back an image that boots. iconic behavior, honestly. 🦋

💅 the options, bestie 💅

• -c, --config=FILE — embed FILE as an early config. like a lil pre-game config that's already inside the image. 🎀
• -C, --compression=(xz|none|auto) — choose the compression to use for core image. pick your fighter: xz, none, or auto.
• --disable-cli — disable command line interface access. no CLI for you. 🙈
• --disable-shim-lock — disable shim_lock verifier.
• -d, --directory=DIR — use images and modules under DIR. default is /usr/lib/grub/<platform>. ⭐
• -D, --dtb=FILE — embed FILE as a device tree (DTB).
• -k, --pubkey=FILE — embed FILE as public key for PGP signature checking. 🔐
• -m, --memdisk=FILE — embed FILE as a memdisk image.
  • Implies -p (memdisk)/boot/grub and overrides any prefix supplied previously, but the prefix itself can be overridden by later options. yes this is a whole chain of "actually, no" and we respect it. 💀
• -n, --note — add NOTE segment for CHRP IEEE1275.
• -o, --output=FILE — output a generated image to FILE. default is stdout.
• -O, --format=FORMAT — generate an image in FORMAT. available formats are:
  • i386-coreboot, i386-multiboot, i386-pc, i386-xen_pvh, i386-pc-pxe, i386-pc-eltorito, i386-efi, i386-ieee1275, i386-qemu, x86_64-efi, i386-xen, x86_64-xen, mipsel-yeeloong-flash, mipsel-fuloong2f-flash, mipsel-loongson-elf, powerpc-ieee1275, sparc64-ieee1275-raw, sparc64-ieee1275-cdcore, sparc64-ieee1275-aout, ia64-efi, mips-arc, mipsel-arc, mipsel-qemu_mips-elf, mips-qemu_mips-flash, mipsel-qemu_mips-flash, mips-qemu_mips-elf, arm-uboot, arm-coreboot-vexpress, arm-coreboot-veyron, arm-efi, arm64-efi, loongarch64-efi, riscv32-efi, riscv64-efi
  • that's a LOT of formats and yes, you read all of them right. no skimming bestie, they're all real. 🔥
• -p, --prefix=DIR — set prefix directory.
• -s, --sbat=FILE — SBAT metadata.
• -S, --appended-signature-size=SIZE — add a note segment reserving SIZE bytes for an appended signature.
• -v, --verbose — print verbose messages.
• -x, --x509=FILE — embed FILE as an x509 certificate for appended signature checking.
• -?, --help — give this help list.
• --usage — give a short usage message.
• -V, --version — print program version.

heads up bestie: mandatory or optional arguments to long options are also mandatory or optional for any corresponding short options. the rule applies both ways, no cap. 💜

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🐛 REPORTING BUGS 🐛

found a bug? report bugs to bug-grub@gnu.org. don't be shy, the maintainers wanna know. 🫶

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👀 SEE ALSO 👀

• grub-install(8)
• grub-mkrescue(1)
• grub-mknetdir(8)

the full documentation for grub-mkimage is maintained as a Texinfo manual. if the info and grub-mkimage programs are properly installed at your site, the command

info grub-mkimage

should give you access to the complete manual. go read it, it's giving full lore. 📚

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okay that's the whole page bestie, you're so welcome 💖 this was GRUB 2.12, dated April 2026, and yeah it's page GRUB-MKIMAGE(1) — now go make a bootable image and slay. periodt. ✨👑