Sheet 3/10 — Firmware · Bootloader
mzBoot
A GRUB-like two-stage bootloader and complete disk-preparation toolchain.
| Layer | Firmware · Bootloader |
|---|---|
| Language | C · asm |
| Targets | x86_64 · arm |
| Depends on | mzBIOS |
| Used by | mzOS2 |
| Organization | microZeus |
| Source | Private alpha — opens with a change order on this site’s log |
General notes
mzBoot is a self-contained bootloader and filesystem toolchain built from scratch for the mz ecosystem. It provides the complete vertical stack for creating bootable disks — GPT partitioning, FAT32 and EXT4 filesystem creation, and bootloader installation — without reaching for parted, mkfs, or grub-install.
The bootloader itself is a two-stage design with a GRUB-style boot menu driven by an external mzboot.cfg: timeouts, default entries, kernel paths, initrd, and kernel arguments, all in pure C.
Bill of materials — what’s in the box
- partmz — GPT partitioning with protective MBR
- mk.fat.fs / mk.ext4.fs — filesystem creators from scratch
- mzbootup — bootloader installation tool
- Boot menu with external configuration file
- QEMU-ready disk images for x86_64 and ARM