Unified Extensible Firmware Interface

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What is UEFI?

UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface),a type of a software program that connects the program embedded in a computer to its operating system, has begun replacing the classic BIOS in most computers now. 

What is BIOS?

BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is a program stored in a part of the Motherboard in the hardware of every computer which sets up essential components in the settings like keyboard language, date and time and then hands the reins to the OS. 

How is UEFI a more flexible and adaptable way to run a computer?

Nowadays, UEFI is preferred in computers as BIOS is limited to handling Hard Driver only of 2TB or less while UEFI can handle larger spaces as well. UEFI is also faster and more efficient than the BIOS. It is also considered to be safer than the BIOS. 

Moreover, UEFI can function on various platforms and can be written in any programming language whilst BIOS being specific to IBM PCs and being written in Assembly Language. However, even though UEFI can be written in any programming language, it is most commonly written in a way referred to as TianoCore EDKII which is written in C Language. Therefore, UEFI is a more flexible and adaptable way to run a computer as compared to BIOS.

History

In the mid 1990s started the development of the first Intel-HP Itanium Systems with BIOS as the program embedded in the Motherboard. Itanium targeted larger server programs however, the BIOS limitations were too restrictive. The progressive effort to bring this concern into the spotlight began in 1998 by the name Intel Boot Initiative which was later renamed as EFI or Extensible Firmware Interface. 

Eventually, after a long wait, in 2004, the first UEFI was released as an open source implementation and was called Tiano. 

However, in 2005, Intel ceased the development of the EFI at version 1.10 itself. It began contributing to the Unified EFI Forum which, overtime has been known as Unified Extensible Firmware Interface. The original EFI specification remains owned by Intel, which exclusively provides licenses for EFI-based products, but the UEFI specification is owned by the UEFI Forum.

On 31 January 2006, Version 2.0 was released which included cryptography and security. \

Version 2.1 released on 7 January 2007 added network authentication and the user interface architecture (‘Human Interface Infrastructure’ in UEFI).

In December 2018, Microsoft announced Project Mu, a fork of TianoCore EDK2 used in Microsoft Surface and Hyper-V products. The project promotes the idea of Firmware as a Service.

The latest UEFI specification, version 2.10, was published in August 2022.

Advantages

  • Unlike BIOS, UEFI can handle partitions larger than 2TB using it’s GUID Partition Table.
  • UEFI offers network access, GUI (Graphical User Interface), multi-language support.
  • It supports 32-bit and 64-bit systems
  • Within the UEFI environment, the C and Python languages are supported.
  • It has a modular design.
  • It is open to backwards and forward compatibility.

Compatibility

  • Backward Compatibility

UEFI is designed using the CSM (Compatibility Support Module) such that it can work with the BIOS-based operating systems and hardware components. The CSM is used to make the UEFI information accessible to the BIOS systems.

  • Forward Compatibility

UEFI is designed to adapt to future advancements without affecting the core functionality, ensuring that it remains functional making it a platform which can be used by multiple generations, able to leverage the new technologies. 

-Saanvi Verma