OS Manuals

/usr/bin/grub-mkimage

the grand unified bootloader

From grub 2.16-r1 (enterprise-packages), captured 2026-11-08 by running grub-mkimage --help (exit 0). permalink

Also provided by 1 other package version
Usage: grub-mkimage [OPTION...] [OPTION]... [MODULES]
Make a bootable image of GRUB.

  -c, --config=FILE          embed FILE as an early config
  -C, --compression=(xz|none|auto)
                             choose the compression to use for core image
      --disable-cli          disable command line interface access
      --disable-shim-lock    disable shim_lock verifier
  -d, --directory=DIR        use images and modules under DIR
                             [default=/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
  -n, --note                 add NOTE segment for CHRP IEEE1275
  -o, --output=FILE          output a generated image to FILE [default=stdout]
  -O, --format=FORMAT        generate an image in FORMAT
                             available formats: 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
  -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, --x509key=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

Mandatory or optional arguments to long options are also mandatory or optional
for any corresponding short options.

Report bugs to <bug-grub@gnu.org>.
Options (19)
OptionDescriptionSource
-c, --config FILEembed FILE as an early confighelp
-C, --compression (xz|none|auto)choose the compression to use for core imagehelp
--disable-clidisable command line interface accesshelp
--disable-shim-lockdisable shim_lock verifierhelp
-d, --directory DIRuse images and modules under DIR [default=/usr/lib/grub/<platform>]help
-D, --dtb FILEembed FILE as a device tree (DTB)help
-k, --pubkey FILEembed FILE as public key for PGP signature checkinghelp
-m--memdisk=FILE embed FILE as a memdisk imagehelp
-n, --noteadd NOTE segment for CHRP IEEE1275help
-o, --output FILEoutput a generated image to FILE [default=stdout]help
-O, --format FORMATgenerate an image in FORMAT available formats: 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,…help
-p, --prefix DIRset prefix directoryhelp
-s, --sbat FILESBAT metadatahelp
-S, --appended-signature-size SIZEAdd a note segment reserving SIZE bytes for an appended signaturehelp
-v, --verboseprint verbose messages.help
-x, --x509key FILEembed FILE as an x509 certificate for appended signature checkinghelp
-?, --helpgive this help listhelp
--usagegive a short usage messagehelp
-V, --versionprint program versionhelp

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.