Limine (bootloader)

{{Short description|Linux bootloader}}

{{Infobox software

| name = Limine

| screenshot = Limine.png

| caption = Example Limine boot menu

| developer = mintsuki and contributors

| programming language = C, assembly languages

| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q106536220|P348|P548=Q2804309}}

| latest release date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q106536220|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}

| genre = Bootloader

| platform = ARM, RISC-V, loongArch, x86{{cite news|last=Larabel|first=Michael|date=2024-08-03|url=https://www.phoronix.com/news/Limine-8.0-Bootloader|title=Limine 8.0 Bootloader Released With LoongArch Support

|publisher=Phoronix|access-date=2025-02-09}}{{cite news|last=Schürrmann|first=Tim|date=2024-08-06|url=https://www.linux-magazin.de/news/alternativer-bootloader-limine-8-0-1-unterstuetzt-loongarch64-systeme/|title=Alternativer Bootloader Limine 8.0.1 unterstützt LoongArch64-Systeme|publisher=Linux-Magazin|access-date=2025-03-07}}

| license = BSD-2-Clause

| discontinued = no

| website = {{URL|https://limine-bootloader.org}}

| repo = {{URL|https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine}}

}}

Limine is a portable boot loader and the reference implementation for the Limine boot protocol.{{cite web|url=https://limine-bootloader.org|title=Limine|website=limine-bootloader.org|access-date=2023-08-28}}{{cite news|last=Holwerda|first=Thom|date=2024-08-04|title=Limine: a modern, advanced, portable, multiprotocol bootloader and boot manager|url=https://www.osnews.com/story/140407/limine-a-modern-advanced-portable-multiprotocol-bootloader-and-boot-manager/|publisher=OSNews|access-date=2025-03-07}} Multiboot2, chainloading, and the Linux boot protocols are also supported. Limine supports the ISO-9660 and FAT filesystems.{{cite news|last=Larabel|first=Michael|date=2025-02-17|url=https://www.phoronix.com/news/Limine-9.0-Released|title=Limine 9.0 Bootloader Drops EXT4 File-System Support|publisher=Phoronix|access-date=2025-02-17}}{{cite news|last=Schürrmann|first=Tim|date=2025-02-17|title=Bootloader Limine 9.0.0 entfernt Unterstützung für Ext-Dateisysteme|url=https://www.linux-magazin.de/news/bootloader-limine-9-0-0-entfernt-unterstuetzung-fuer-ext-dateisysteme/|publisher=Linux-Magazin|access-date=2025-03-07}}

Limine aims to provide a more robust alternative to bootloaders like GNU GRUB,{{cite news|last=Larabel|first=Michael|date=2024-01-14|title=Limine 7.0 Bootloader Released

|url=https://www.phoronix.com/news/Limine-7.0-Bootloader|publisher=Phoronix|access-date=2024-01-14}} as well as its own boot protocol as an alternative to the Multiboot specification, with the goal of reducing the amount of work needed for a kernel developer to get a workable 64-bit environment once booted.

Limine is packaged by several Linux distributions, being offered by Arch Linux, where it is an option in archinstall,{{cite news|last=Larabel|first=Michael|date=2023-07-31|title=Archinstall 2.6 Released For Latest Easy-To-Use Arch Linux Installer|url=https://www.phoronix.com/news/Arch-Linux-Archinstall-2.6|publisher=Phoronix|access-date=2023-08-28}}{{cite news|last=Nestor|first=Marius|date=2023-07-30|title=Arch Linux Installer Now Supports Hyperland WM, Limine Bootloader|url=https://9to5linux.com/arch-linux-installer-now-supports-hyperland-wm-limine-bootloader|publisher=9to5Linux|access-date=2023-08-29}} as well as included in EasyOS{{cite news|author=darkcrizt|date=2022-11-15|title=EasyOS 4.5 "Dunfell" arrives with a large number of fixes and new sfs|url=https://ubunlog.com/en/easyos-4-5-dunfell-llega-con-una-gran-cantidad-de-correcciones-y-nuevos-sfs/|publisher=Ubunlog|access-date=2023-08-28}} (a derivative of Puppy Linux{{cite news|first=Sourav|last=Rudra|date=2023-08-02|title=EasyOS: An Experimental Distro With Unique Qualities|url=https://news.itsfoss.com/easyos/|publisher=It's FOSS News|access-date=2024-01-14}}), CachyOS,{{cite news|last=Larabel|first=Michael|date=2025-03-30|title=CachyOS Adds Limine Bootloader, Easier Samba Integration & NTSYNC Wine|url=https://www.phoronix.com/news/CachyOS-March-2025-Release|publisher=Phoronix|access-date=2025-04-25}} and Chimera Linux.{{cite news|last=Borisov|first=Bobby|date=2025-04-21|title=Chimera Linux Introduces Key Bootloader Changes|url=https://linuxiac.com/chimera-linux-introduces-key-bootloader-changes/|publisher=Linuxiac|access-date=2025-04-25}} Limine is also used by Cosmos{{cite web|title=IL2CPU|url=https://cosmosos.github.io/articles/Compiler/il2cpu.html|website=cosmos.github.io|access-date=2025-03-07}} and supported by SerenityOS.{{cite web|title=SerenityOS Changelog for Monday, February 14, 2022|url=https://changelog.serenityos.org/?date=2022-02-14&monthly=false&repo=serenity|website=changelog.serenityos.org|access-date=2023-08-29}}