Specifically Handle Ventoy Instances

[1457384613gh]

Specifically Handle Ventoy Instances

[startergo]

but not sure whether this should not be requested upstream in rEFInd instead.

I agree. That is probably the best place to ask to be included though I doubt Mr. Smith would go with it :)

[dakanji]

Hi,

Seems what you meant to say is that you want Ventoy to be included as a supported tool that can be added in the tools list.

Your posts are usually very unclear and maybe try to actually explain things as opposed to just posting confusing links and screenshots. You have also not taken time to actually explain what this brings to the table and why it might be a good idea.

I can see some potential benefits but not sure whether this should not be requested upstream in rEFInd instead.
Let me see what @startergo & @joevt think

[1457384613gh]

You have also not taken time to actually explain what this brings to the table and why it might be a good idea.

If you happened to dislike it, then it should be no use talking too much about it.
If you happened to like it, then it would be okay that I could say a few words less.

[dakanji]

If you happen to like/dislike ...

Important thing is not liking stuff but on how relevant it is and determining relevance is based on information you provide.
Doesn't need you to write much beyond basic simple and clear explanation.

Just adding links and screenshots does not really provide useful information.

I have done a web search and it seems interesting but few questions:

1. Since it is on a bootable USB, does it not already show up as a bootable USB without needing to make it a tool?
2. Have you implemented it as a tool somewhere already?

[1457384613gh]

Since it is on a bootable USB, does it not already show up as a bootable USB without needing to make it a tool?

windows_recovery_files +, EFI:/EFI/BOOT/bootx64.efi, PE:/EFI/BOOT/bootx64.efi
ventoy_files VTOYEFI:/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI
The loaded file from a bootable USB disk is almost /EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI.
Bootable USB disk can be burned with WinPE, LiveCD and so on.
The icon about it will be os_unknown.png.
If to set os_boot.png as the icon of Ventoy, every bootable USB disk will show the icon of Ventoy.
Different stuff has the same icon, unclearly. You dislike unclear stuff.

Have you implemented it as a tool somewhere already?

Yes,
windows_recovery_files VTOYEFI:/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI

Rename it tool_windows_rescue.png.
Make use of the entry of windows_recovery to make it enter to Ventoy.
But WinPE on USB disk will be with the icon of ventoy.

[dakanji]

Thanks but did not understand fully.

I meant that when you plug in the Ventoy USB stick and start RefindPlus, does this not show up without you doing anything extra? I would have expected this would be the case .... is it not?

[1457384613gh]

It will show with big icon up.

[1457384613gh]

Many big icons.
It is because many .efi files.

[dakanji]

Many big icons

I see.

So even if added as a tool, additional steps will be needed to stop the components showing on the first row.

[joevt]

bootx64.efi needs to be given a unique name like ventoy.efi for RefindPlus to be able to identify it.

The RefindPlus config file needs a section for adding arbitrary tools - maybe a tool name followed by a list of possible names or patterns: ventoy = ventoy.efi, ventoy*.efi.

Another option is to add the tool as a menu option but have a istool setting so that the menu option appears in the tool list instead of the main menu list.

Anything added as a tool should automatically not be added as a boot option (like how RecoveryHD options only appear in the tools list).

[dakanji]

The RefindPlus config file needs a section for adding arbitrary tools

You have mentioned this before. Will make a note to look into this.

For now, I have actually already more or less knocked something together for Ventoy as it just needed duplicating the Windows Recovery code as @1457384613gh pointed out.

Will finalise presently.

[1457384613gh]

bootx64.efi needs to be given a unique name like ventoy.efi for RefindPlus to be able to identify it.

The team of ventoy said, in order to boot on any computers and to support secure boot, .efi file cannot be renamed.

If ventoy.efi, there will be bugs.

[dakanji]

Please try the attached test build: X317-BOOTx64.zip

You should be able to just add ventoy to the tools list and it should have a tool_ventoy icon if present

[1457384613gh]

What are the codes?

showtools ..., ..., ..., ventoy
ventoy_files VTOYEFI:/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI

Are they?

[dakanji]

Test both. First try showtools ..., ..., ..., ventoy alone then add ventoy_files later

[1457384613gh]

First try showtools ..., ..., ..., ventoy alone

No.

then add ventoy_files later

No.

23n06g2633.log

Another thing, I don't know why it looks very small.
It should have looked big enough.

RefindPlus

rEFInd

[dakanji]

Thanks. Will take a closer look later.

[dakanji]

The log you shared is from a run where "ventoy" was not in the showtools list

[1457384613gh]

showtools …, …, ventoy is into stanzas .conf file.

[dakanji]

I don't know what stanzas.conf is and while It probably is as you say, the log tells me "ventoy" is not in the showtools list.
So please test a normal RefindPlus instance with one config file and add it to the showtools list in that file.

[1457384613gh]

I don't know what stanzas.conf is

stanazas(space).conf file.

A .conf file into include.

[dakanji]

i know but while you may have added the item there, it is not making it into the ShowTools variable as it should.
Hence the request to take out all the complicated moving parts and run the test on a simple single config file.
Could be that something is overriding things elsewhere ... possible when using 10,000 separate config files.

[1457384613gh]

There is only one showtools

[dakanji]

There is only one showtools

Your log says that is not the case.

The showtools list proceesed in your log was:
shell,memtest,gdisk,apple_recovery,windows_recovery,mok_tool,about,hidden_tags,shutdown,reboot,firmware,fwupdate

Obviously no relationship to what you showed.

So please set up a normal instance and test with this.

[1457384613gh]

I will try tomorrow.

[dakanji]

I will try tomorrow

Hi,

No need to test that version as I have created a Ventoy instance and basically completed setting it up to show as a tool. However, after all that, I am currently not inclined to add this to the project as it is (a new supported tool).

Stepping back, a few items to note are:

1. Ventoy is set up as a bootable instance typically on a USB
2. RefindPlus shows this bootable instance as it should
3. The only issue is that the multiple binaries it contains show up separately

Given that issue, setting it up as a tool does not seem to be the best solution given the complexities introduced as well as the maintenance burden.

Additionally, this means all sorts of filtering steps for these extra binaries have to always be done and slow things down for everybody whether they actually want to run Ventoy or not.

Worse still is that a user can quite easily configure things to hide the binaries they do not want by using any one of several dont_scan_xyz options available as they want.

Having said that, I might go ahead with an alternative approach of simply making it that RefindPlus can recognise a Ventoy instance and filter the extra binaries out to only show one. This will be done when a user activates a new handle_ventoy config token.

If the token is not activated, things will work as they currently do. If you want to run Ventoy, you can activate the token and only one Ventoy option will show up per instance.

Still means adding new code to do what a user can configure themselves but might be ok to do and allow the option to be labelled properly. Will make a final call later as I will be away for a week or so.

[1457384613gh]

ventoy_files VTOYEFI:/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI

Only one .efi file behind the entry.

Don't scan the partition "VTOYEFI" and it won't show others for big icons.

[dakanji]

Yes. Will decide and finalise sometime next week.

[dakanji]

Will decide and finalise sometime next week.

The second option will be implemented.
That is, Ventoy will be handled as a loader (first row) and not by a new tool (second row).

A new config option, handle_ventoy, must be active to enable special handling.
Otherwise, nothing special will be done and things will work as they currently do.

If present in the icons folder and handle_ventoy is set, an os_ventoy icon will be shown for Ventoy.
Otherwise, the uknown or dummy images will be used.

A HotFix build for v0.14.0.AA is planned to address a few issues that have cropped up post release.
This feature will be included in that build; which will be added to the v0.14.0.AA release tag when completed.
This is expected to happen sometime this week.

[github-actions]

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[dakanji]

A new config option, handle_ventoy, must be active to enable special handling.

This requirement, previously not in an actual release, has been dropped in Commit 1d74f2c and would not be in the feature when introduced in v0.14.0.AB

UPDATE:
Reintroduced in Commit a2a0351 and would appear in v0.14.0.AC

SUMMARY:
handle_ventoy was in pre-release code but not included with feature introduced in v0.14.0.AB. Now added for v0.14.0.AC