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Multiboot specification
open-in-new
<p>The Multiboot specification is an <a href="/facts/Open_standard/RGvhGQVI">open standard</a> describing how a <a href="/facts/Boot_loader/6sNpcLMK">boot loader</a> can load an <a href="/facts/X86/Kypq5fgu">x86</a> operating system <a href="/facts/Kernel_(operating_system)/uEj4U3Rz">kernel</a>. The specification allows any compliant boot-loader implementation to boot any compliant <a href="/facts/Operating_system/8XTuvMh2">operating-system</a> kernel. Thus, it allows different operating systems and boot loaders to work together and interoperate, without the need for operating system–specific boot loaders. As a result, it also allows easier coexistence of different operating systems on a single computer, which is also known as <a href="/facts/Multi-booting/wsghHIbl">multi-booting</a>. </p><p>The specification was originally created in 1995 and developed by the <a href="/facts/Free_Software_Foundation/k0sBmw7y">Free Software Foundation</a>. <a href="/facts/GNU_Hurd/LU1mHe5M">GNU Hurd</a>, <a href="/facts/VMware/lKHGULx3">VMware</a> ESXi, <a href="/facts/Xen/U5fq6ESl">Xen</a>, and <a href="/facts/L4_microkernel_family/1rrWcHKB">L4 microkernels</a> all need to be <a href="/facts/Booting/j6N1kRpc">booted</a> using this method. <a href="/facts/GNU_GRUB/pbwqDCh1">GNU GRUB</a> is the <a href="/facts/Reference_implementation/k9B97xel">reference implementation</a> used in the <a href="/facts/GNU/EpSzvJGJ">GNU</a> <a href="/facts/Operating_system/8XTuvMh2">operating system</a> and other operating systems. As of July 2019, the latest version of Multiboot specification is 0.6.96, defined in 2009. An incompatible second iteration with <a href="/facts/UEFI/w86VGmy2">UEFI</a> support, Multiboot2 specification, was later introduced. As of April 2019, the latest version of Multiboot2 is 2.0, defined in 2016. </p>