nixos/limine: Failed to install bootloader

[gg-plato]

Nixpkgs version

• Unstable (26.05)

Describe the bug

Limine bootloader instalation failed.

Steps to reproduce

Trying to install limine of an ASUS Dash F15 laptop, I use the same limine configuration on a thinkpad and it works perfectly. Right now its using systemd-boot, I added limine configurations and tried to rebuild with sudo nixos-rebuild boot --flake .#PC but the bootloader installation failed. Trying with --install-bootloader option has the same result.

Expected behaviour

Set up Limine bootloader

Screenshots

No response

Relevant log output

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/nix/store/z44z6pvwglx78m781vc302q4dn8fkd80-limine-install.py", line 676, in <module>
    main()
    ~~^^
  File "/nix/store/z44z6pvwglx78m781vc302q4dn8fkd80-limine-install.py", line 665, in main
    install_bootloader()
    ~~~~^^
  File "/nix/store/z44z6pvwglx78m781vc302q4dn8fkd80-limine-install.py", line 619, in install_bootloader
    efibootmgr_output = subprocess.check_output([
        efibootmgr,
    ...<4 lines>...
        '-L', 'Limine',
    ], stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, universal_newlines=True)
  File "/nix/store/jngi3b58h7iw727mrk42pnfbg6gv5r7m-python3-3.13.11-env/lib/python3.13/subprocess.py", line 472, in check_output
    return run(*popenargs, stdout=PIPE, timeout=timeout, check=True,
           ~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
               **kwargs).stdout
               ^^^^^^^^^
  File "/nix/store/jngi3b58h7iw727mrk42pnfbg6gv5r7m-python3-3.13.11-env/lib/python3.13/subprocess.py", line 577, in run
    raise CalledProcessError(retcode, process.args,
                             output=stdout, stderr=stderr)
subprocess.CalledProcessError: Command '['/nix/store/c41lpawhs65ny7lr7xy9v2sv6zf4lfxb-efibootmgr-18/bin/efibootmgr', '-c', '-d', '/dev/nvme0n1', '-p', '1', '-l', '\efi\limine\BOOTX64.EFI', '-L', 'Limine']' returned non-zero exit status 5.
Failed to install bootloader
Command 'systemd-run -E LOCALE_ARCHIVE -E NIXOS_INSTALL_BOOTLOADER -E NIXOS_NO_CHECK --collect --no-ask-password --pipe --quiet --service-type=exec --unit=nixos-rebuild-switch-to-configuration /nix/store/qs64f8pwil55i174w70nd528shf754z2-nixos-system-dash-26.05.20260217.0182a36/bin/switch-to-configuration boot' returned non-zero exit status 1.

Additional context

Here is the exact configurations used:

 limine = {
        enable = true;
        maxGenerations = 3;
        style = {
          wallpapers = [
            "${pkgs.cosmic-wallpapers}/share/backgrounds/cosmic/phytoplankton_bloom_nasa_oli2_20240121.jpg"
          ];
          graphicalTerminal.margin = 0;
          graphicalTerminal.background = "80000000";
        };
      };

System metadata

• system: "x86_64-linux"
• host os: Linux 6.18.12, NixOS, 26.05 (Yarara), 26.05.20260217.0182a36
• multi-user?: yes
• sandbox: yes
• version: nix-env (Nix) 2.31.3
• nixpkgs: /nix/store/dx2qikyb4dyb6hbdfywbmsyla0z5a1h3-source

Notify maintainers

@JohnRTitor @lzcunt @Prince213 @programmerlexi @ryand56

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• I assert that this is a bug and not a support request.
• I assert that this is not a duplicate of an existing issue.
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[programmerlexi]

Is this a UEFI system (seems like it)? If yes, please check that /sys/firmware/efi/efivars is present.

[gg-plato]

Hello, efivars is present, its an UEFI system.

[programmerlexi]

Is there any additional log output?

[gg-plato]

That's the full log from what I can see.

[Prince213]

Looks like it's caused by:
https://github.com/rhboot/efibootmgr/blob/c3f9f0534e32158f62c43564036878b93b9e0fd6/src/efibootmgr.c#L1888-L1893

[Prince213]

@gg-plato Can you run the command directly and paste its output?

/nix/store/c41lpawhs65ny7lr7xy9v2sv6zf4lfxb-efibootmgr-18/bin/efibootmgr -c -d /dev/nvme0n1 -p 1 -l \efi\limine\BOOTX64.EFI -L Limine

[compguy284]

i'm having the same issue. here's the output i see when running a similar command.

sudo efibootmgr -c -b 0003 -d /dev/nvme0n1 -p 1 -l \\efi\\limine\\BOOTX64.EFI -L Limine -o 0003,0002,00
00,2001,3002,3003,2002,2004
efibootmgr: ** Warning ** : Boot0003 has same label Limine
efibootmgr: Cannot create Boot0003: already exists.

[Prince213]

Hi @compguy284 can you paste the python stack trace?

Looks like the script failed to detect existing Limine entry.

[compguy284]

warning: Git tree '/home/mcguyver/src/nix-config' is dirty
Checking switch inhibitors... done
cleaning /boot/limine/xen
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/nix/store/l1237zl6ncrd2vgq2jarr1y1aylfb5a6-limine-install.py", line 676, in <module>
    main()
    ~~~~^^
  File "/nix/store/l1237zl6ncrd2vgq2jarr1y1aylfb5a6-limine-install.py", line 665, in main
    install_bootloader()
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^
  File "/nix/store/l1237zl6ncrd2vgq2jarr1y1aylfb5a6-limine-install.py", line 608, in install_bootloader
    efibootmgr_output = subprocess.check_output([
        efibootmgr,
    ...<6 lines>...
        '-o', boot_order,
    ], stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, universal_newlines=True)
  File "/nix/store/jngi3b58h7iw727mrk42pnfbg6gv5r7m-python3-3.13.11-env/lib/python3.13/subprocess.py", line 472, in check_output
    return run(*popenargs, stdout=PIPE, timeout=timeout, check=True,
           ~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
               **kwargs).stdout
               ^^^^^^^^^
  File "/nix/store/jngi3b58h7iw727mrk42pnfbg6gv5r7m-python3-3.13.11-env/lib/python3.13/subprocess.py", line 577, in run
    raise CalledProcessError(retcode, process.args,
                             output=stdout, stderr=stderr)
subprocess.CalledProcessError: Command '['/nix/store/c41lpawhs65ny7lr7xy9v2sv6zf4lfxb-efibootmgr-18/bin/efibootmgr', '-c', '-b', '0003', '-d', '/dev/nvme0n1', '-p', '1', '-l', '\\efi\\limine\\BOOTX64.EFI', '-L', 'Limine', '-o', '0003,0002,0000,2001,3002,3003,2002,2004']' returned non-zero exit status 8.
Failed to install bootloader

[Prince213]

Hi @compguy284 looks like in your case the script failed to detect an existing entry. Please open a new issue instead.

[programmerlexi]

I will have to test if i can reproduce this.

@Prince213 have you managed to reproduce the issue?

[Prince213]

Haven't got time to do that yet, but maybe @gg-plato or @compguy284 could do some bisecting and find when it broke?

[programmerlexi]

@compguy284 can you please run the following commands and paste the output here (if any).

sudo efibootmgr -b 0003 -B
sudo efibootmgr -c -b 0003 -d /dev/nvme0n1 -p 1 -l \\efi\\limine\\BOOTX64.EFI -L Limine -o 0003,0002,0000,2001,3002,3003,2002,2004

This imitates the behavior of the script in full and will likely display a different error.