UEFI vs. BIOS install - Which one should I choose?

[tauro_kpo]

Hello everybody, I'm setting up this computer with an ASUS P8H77-M PRO motherboard, which has both UEFI and BIOS capabilities.

The question is, is it worth to use UEFI? Are there any real advantages, considering I want to multi-boot many distros? Is it good idea to use GRUB2 or instead I'll have to use rEFIt or rEFInd and install several .efi loaders?

I'm used to BIOS/GRUB2 for a multiple distro installation (which is what I'm planning to do here too).

Thank you

[yancek]

You might read a little about uefi advantages at the link below. As far as multibooting, you should have no problems installing and booting a number of distributions with Grub2.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified...ware_Interface

[tauro_kpo]

Hi yancek

When you say I could use GRUB2, what do you mean exactly? Installing it to the BIOS_BOOT partition? or to the UEFI_ESP? (two completely different approaches).

Thanks

[MikeTbob]

I could be wrong here but I think very few if any distros are actually able to take advantage of UEFI boot yet. I know Redhat started talking about it but I haven't heard if they've managed to release it yet. Please correct me if I am wrong. I think Fedora 18 will have it.
Fedora Linux Moves Forward with UEFI Secure Boot Plans | PCWorld Business Center

[tauro_kpo]

Hi Mike,

as far as I know a motherboard that uses UEFI doesn't necessarily need to have the secure boot feature. I think this new motherboard I bought doesn't have that feature at all (it lacks the TPM chip). Anyway I'm not interested at all in secure boot, for me it's useless as I'm always aware of which software I'm installing/using.

So my question is, install GRUB2 to UEFI_ESP or as always using GPT to a BIOS_BOOT partition?

any suggestions will be appreciated

[yancek]

I don't know any more about uefi than was shown in the link I posted earlier. I'm not really clear on your question. If it is whether you will have the ability to boot multiple distros using the standard Grub or Grub2 in the BIOS, that would be no problem. See the link below:

How to install and boot 145 operating systems in a PC - JustLinux Forums

[Steven_G]

Here is a good article on the pro's and cons of UEFI. Personally, I think I will be sticking to older hardware without it for quite a long while because as vulnerable as BIOS is at least it is not connected directly to the network stack; unlike UEFI. This is a friggin ***GINORMOUS*** potential security hole, which lots and lots and lots of folks are already looking for a way to exploit. I'm surrrrre they'll never find one. (Even though some early proof of concept research has already been published.) Oh, and I want a puppy and a unicorn for my birthday.