More Space

openSUSE moved to BLS some time ago using the bootloaders systemd-boot and GRUB2-BLS that nowadays is mostly a repackaging of the traditional GRUB2, as the main patches are already merged since 2.16.

This decision also required more space in the ESP partition, as now the kernel and initrds of all snapshots are stored in /boot/efi/$TOKEN, where $TOKEN can be the machine-id, opensuse-tumbleweed or opensuse-microos, depending on the installation. For new installations, this is not a problem since the installer (YaST or Agama) will recommend a large (1 GB) partition; for older installations, the migration can be problematic, to the extreme that if the partition cannot be resized. It is advisable to keep the old GRUB2-EFI bootloader.

But if we decide to use systemd-boot, there is a escape hatch: XBOOTLDR

A New Partition

XBOOTLDR is a new partition that can live anywhere in the disk. The ESP has some limitations in that regard, and usually is the first partition in the system. If present, systemd-boot will look for the menu entries and the kernel / initrds in there, freeing the ESP of that responsibility.

The file system of this partition needs to be also FAT32, like the ESP as this is a limitation of the UEFI, and during the creation needs have a specific GPT identifier (GUID). With fsdisk, we can create a new partition and assign the type 142 or xbootldr; this will assign the correct GUID into the partition table and systemd-boot will recognize it.

Mount Points

Because of this new partition, the mount points needs to change too. As commented, the traditional place where openSUSE put the ESP is in /boot/efi but now we have two places. The UAPI recommendation is to have always the boot entries and the kernel in /boot, and only if there is a separated partition for the boot loader, then this will be placed in /efi. Because this is the case now, we will need to update out /etc/fstab:

UUID=4165-E891 /efi  vfat utf8,dmask=0077,noexec,nodev,nosuid,nosymfollow 0 2 UUID=414C-528C /boot vfat utf8,dmask=0077,noexec,nodev,nosuid,nosymfollow 0 2 

Change the UUID to point to the correct device.

sdbootutil can find both partitions and write in the correct place now, depending if we are updating the bootloader or adding new entries.

Now we can move the boot entries and the kernel directories, both placed in the old /boot/efi/loader path. We can manually move it into the new partition, just keep loader/random-seed and loader/loader.conf in the old place, but the rest of the loader/ directory can be moved.

More information about a more detailed description can be found in the following section:

Further Documentation

• Migrating from GRUB2-EFI
• MicroOS FDE
• UAPI.1 The Boot Loader Specification

on the water photography hat dem Pool ein Foto hinzugefügt:

Onigawara (鬼瓦) are decorative, fearsome-faced roof tiles in Japanese architecture, depicting Japanese ogres (oni) or beasts, used on temples, shrines, and homes to ward off evil spirits and protect against fire and weather. Placed at the ends of roof ridges, they serve as guardians, evolving from earlier floral tiles (hanagawara) and embodying a blend of spiritual protection and artistic expression.

Key Characteristics:
Appearance: Features monstrous faces (ogres, lions, dragons) with intricate designs, often with swirling patterns (hire) at the base.

Function: Acts as a spiritual talisman to ward off evil and prevent leaks, similar to gargoyles in Western architecture, but with a more positive guardian role.

Placement: Found at the end of main roof ridges (mune) and descending ridges on traditional Japanese buildings.
Materials: Typically ceramic (tile), but can also be stone or wood.

Variations: While oni faces are common, designs can include flowers, birds, or landscapes, with some featuring hammers (symbolizing wealth) or different mouth expressions.

Cultural Significance:
Origin: Evolved from earlier architectural elements like oni-ita (oni-faced boards) used to stop roof leaks.

Spiritual Role: Despite their frightening look, oni were initially seen as protectors against worse evils, a concept reflected in these tiles.

Artistry: Each onigawara is unique, often crafted by specialized artisans (oni-shi) who create them from memory, ensuring no two are identical.