UEFI hybrid ISO (real hardware) · novolis-os

Persistent GPT media with ESP + GRUB + ext4 root (LABEL=novolisos). Same appliance stack as the QEMU qcow (systemd → cage → /opt/novolis/app).

Build

pwsh -File d:\novolis\novolis-os\scripts\Build-Appliance.ps1

Produces (among other artifacts):

File	Role
`artifacts/novolis-os.iso`	GPT hybrid (identical bytes to `.img`) — flash in DD mode
`artifacts/novolis-os-uefi.img`	Same image, clearer name for `dd`
`artifacts/novolis-os-uefi.vhdx`	Hyper-V Gen2 disk (from `Run-HyperV.ps1`)

UEFI only — no legacy BIOS. GRUB is unsigned → turn Secure Boot off.

Flash to USB

Rufus / balenaEtcher: choose the .iso or .img, use DD / image mode (not ISO9660 file copy).

Linux / WSL:

# Example: replace /dev/sdX with your USB device — destroys all data on it
# dd if=d:/novolis/novolis-os/artifacts/novolis-os.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress conv=fsync

Test in Hyper-V (Generation 2)

Converts the GPT hybrid to VHDX, creates VM NovolisOS with Secure Boot Off, and opens VM Connect:

# Elevated PowerShell required
pwsh -File d:\novolis\novolis-os\scripts\Run-HyperV.ps1

Do not attach a qcow-derived disk to Hyper-V. Run-HyperV.ps1 builds artifacts/novolis-os-uefi.vhdx from the UEFI GPT hybrid.

Test in QEMU (OVMF)

pwsh -File d:\novolis\novolis-os\scripts\Run-Iso.ps1

Needs QEMU with OVMF/edk2 firmware files. Pass -OvmfCode if auto-detect fails.

Day-to-day dogfooding can stay on kernel-direct qcow: vm.md.

Layout

Partition	Type	Contents
1	EFI System (FAT32)	`EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI`, GRUB modules
2	Linux (ext4 `novolisos`)	Full rootfs + apps

Out of scope (v1)

Secure Boot signing
Legacy BIOS
Live squashfs / installer UI