Canoeboot distributes BIOS and UEFI boot firmware based on coreboot for starting Linux and BSD systems.
zfsBootMenu
ZFSBootMenu provides boot management and documentation for Linux systems using ZFS.
About zfsBootMenu
ZFSBootMenu is a bootloader for Linux on ZFS, implemented as a small, self-contained Linux system. It finds Linux kernels and initramfs images inside ZFS filesystems and launches them with kexec, either automatically or by user selection. It can present multiple boot environments, work with snapshots in a pre-boot environment, support system installation via zfs recv, and prompt for passphrases for natively encrypted filesystems.
It imports healthy ZFS pools automatically or a specified pool by option, prefers the filesystem indicated by the bootfs property with a 10-second interruptible countdown, and falls back to searching for filesystems with mountpoint=/ and kernels in /boot. Pre-generated images are provided for x86_64 UEFI and legacy BIOS systems, while other platforms or custom configurations require building a local image.
Key features
- Select among multiple ZFS boot environments on one system
- Manipulate ZFS snapshots before the operating system boots
- Boot Linux kernels and initramfs images using kexec
- Prompt for passphrase for natively encrypted ZFS filesystems
- Import all healthy pools or one specified pool
- Support system installation bootstrap via zfs recv
Best for: Users running Linux on ZFS who need to select and manage multiple boot environments.
Good for
- Boots many common distributions without special configuration
- Provides pre-generated images for x86_64 UEFI and legacy BIOS
- Supports automatic bootfs selection with interruptible countdown
Watch out for
- Red Hat derivatives are expected to work but have never been tested
- Other platforms and custom configurations require building a local image
- Local installation requires extra tools such as fzf and kexec-tools
zfsBootMenu at a glance
- Website
- docs.zfsbootmenu.org
- Category
- Software & Utilities › Linux Apps
- Type
- Website
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Platforms
- Linux, Web
- Open source
- Not stated
- Language
- English
- Last checked
- Oct 5, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
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zfsBootMenu FAQ
How does ZFSBootMenu start a Linux system?
It imports ZFS pools, mounts the selected environment, loads its kernel and initramfs with kexec, unmounts ZFS filesystems, then boots that kernel.
Which distributions are known to boot without special configuration?
Void, Chimera, Alpine, openSUSE Leap and Tumbleweed, Gentoo, Fedora, Debian and its descendants, and Arch.
What is needed for a local image build?
A local installation requires fzf and kexec-tools, with mbuffer recommended, plus specified Perl modules.
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