From 6c5ab1a18f19944898e5ffe317451b1fa507a5a3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Ahmed Abdelhalim <pm@a14m.dev>
Date: Mon, 4 May 2026 22:35:52 +0200
Subject: Switch from rEFInd to GRUB for proxmox

Since proxmox depends on GRUB and there is no benefit of fighting it,
since proxmox isn't (and not supposed to be) dual booted, use the
default stack and simplify the setup
---
 roles/bootstrap/tasks/install-proxmox.yml        | 63 +++++++++---------------
 roles/bootstrap/templates/refind_proxmox.conf.j2 | 19 -------
 roles/bootstrap/vars/proxmox.yml                 |  6 +--
 3 files changed, 25 insertions(+), 63 deletions(-)
 delete mode 100644 roles/bootstrap/templates/refind_proxmox.conf.j2

diff --git a/roles/bootstrap/tasks/install-proxmox.yml b/roles/bootstrap/tasks/install-proxmox.yml
index 7a3b92a..57278b7 100644
--- a/roles/bootstrap/tasks/install-proxmox.yml
+++ b/roles/bootstrap/tasks/install-proxmox.yml
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@
     mode: "0640"
     content: "{{ item.content }}"
   loop:
-    - dest: "{{ mnt_root_path }}/etc/apt/preferences.d/ignored-package"
-      content: "{{ bootstrap_apt_ignored_preferences }}"
     - dest: "{{ mnt_root_path }}/etc/apt/sources.list"
       content: "{{ bootstrap_apt_sources }}"
     - dest: "{{ mnt_root_path }}/etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-no-subscription.list"
@@ -52,49 +50,36 @@
     - "apt-get update"
     - "apt-get install -y {{ bootstrap_distro.packages | join(' ') }}"
 
-- name: "Ensure rEFInd package installed"
+- name: "Mount EFI partition inside chroot for grub-install"
   ansible.builtin.command:
-    cmd: "arch-chroot {{ mnt_root_path }} apt-get install -y refind"
+    cmd: "mount --bind {{ mnt_boot_path }} {{ mnt_root_path }}/boot/efi"
   changed_when: true
+  tags: ["molecule-notest"]
 
-- name: "Install rEFInd to EFI partition"
+- name: "Install grub to EFI partition"
   ansible.builtin.command:
-    cmd: "arch-chroot {{ mnt_root_path }} refind-install"
+    argv:
+      - "arch-chroot"
+      - "{{ mnt_root_path }}"
+      - "grub-install"
+      - "--target=x86_64-efi"
+      - "--efi-directory=/boot/efi"
+      - "--bootloader-id=proxmox"
+      - "--removable"
   changed_when: true
+  # NOTE: requires real EFI partition — not available in Docker
+  # NOTE: --no-nvram used because NVRAM is not writable inside chroot
+  tags: ["molecule-notest"]
 
-- name: "Ensure proxmox EFI boot directory exists"
-  ansible.builtin.file:
-    path: "{{ mnt_boot_path }}/EFI/proxmox"
-    state: directory
-    mode: "0755"
-
-- name: "Copy kernel to EFI partition"
-  ansible.builtin.shell:
-    cmd: |
-      cp {{ mnt_root_path }}/boot/vmlinuz-*-pve {{ mnt_boot_path }}/EFI/proxmox/vmlinuz
-      cp {{ mnt_root_path }}/boot/initrd.img-*-pve {{ mnt_boot_path }}/EFI/proxmox/initrd.img
+- name: "Generate grub configuration"
+  ansible.builtin.command:
+    cmd: "arch-chroot {{ mnt_root_path }} update-grub"
   changed_when: true
-
-- name: "Configure rEFInd"
-  ansible.builtin.template:
-    src: "refind_proxmox.conf.j2"
-    dest: "{{ mnt_boot_path }}/EFI/BOOT/refind.conf"
-    mode: "0644"
-  # NOTE: this is skipped because the docker test doesn't have proper EFI/refind directory created
-  # NOTE: Debian's refind-install falls back to EFI/BOOT/ when NVRAM entries can't be registered in chroot
+  # NOTE: requires kernel to be installed — not available in Docker test
   tags: ["molecule-notest"]
 
-- name: "Ensure kernel post-install hook directory exists"
-  ansible.builtin.file:
-    path: "{{ mnt_root_path }}/etc/kernel/postinst.d"
-    state: directory
-    mode: "0755"
-
-- name: "Install kernel sync script for EFI partition"
-  ansible.builtin.copy:
-    dest: "{{ mnt_root_path }}/etc/kernel/postinst.d/refind-sync-kernel"
-    mode: "0755"
-    content: |
-      #!/bin/sh
-      cp $(ls -t /boot/vmlinuz-*-pve | head -1) /boot/efi/EFI/proxmox/vmlinuz
-      cp $(ls -t /boot/initrd.img-*-pve | head -1) /boot/efi/EFI/proxmox/initrd.img
+- name: "Unmount EFI partition from chroot"
+  ansible.builtin.command:
+    cmd: "umount {{ mnt_root_path }}/boot/efi"
+  changed_when: true
+  tags: ["molecule-notest"]
diff --git a/roles/bootstrap/templates/refind_proxmox.conf.j2 b/roles/bootstrap/templates/refind_proxmox.conf.j2
deleted file mode 100644
index e38c223..0000000
--- a/roles/bootstrap/templates/refind_proxmox.conf.j2
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-timeout 5
-textonly true
-scan_all_linux_kernels false
-dont_scan_files vmlinuz,vmlinuz-linux,initrd.img,initramfs-linux.img
-hideui hints
-
-menuentry "Proxmox VE" {
-    volume "boot"
-    loader \EFI\proxmox\vmlinuz
-    initrd \EFI\proxmox\initrd.img
-    options "root=PARTLABEL={{ partition_root.name }} rw rootwait console=tty1{% if bootstrap_mac %} {{ bootstrap_mac_boot_args }}{% endif %}"
-}
-
-menuentry "Proxmox VE (terminal)" {
-    volume "boot"
-    loader \EFI\proxmox\vmlinuz
-    initrd \EFI\proxmox\initrd.img
-    options "root=PARTLABEL={{ partition_root.name }} rw rootwait console=tty1 systemd.unit=multi-user.target{% if bootstrap_mac %} {{ bootstrap_mac_boot_args }}{% endif %}"
-}
diff --git a/roles/bootstrap/vars/proxmox.yml b/roles/bootstrap/vars/proxmox.yml
index 9833ad3..0b0e62e 100644
--- a/roles/bootstrap/vars/proxmox.yml
+++ b/roles/bootstrap/vars/proxmox.yml
@@ -4,14 +4,10 @@ bootstrap_distro:
   mirror_url: "http://deb.debian.org/debian"
   packages:
     - "proxmox-default-kernel"
+    - "proxmox-grub"
 
 bootstrap_opts: ""
 
-bootstrap_apt_ignored_preferences: |
-  Package: grub-common grub2-common grub-pc grub-pc-bin
-  Pin: release *
-  Pin-Priority: -1
-
 bootstrap_apt_sources: |
   deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib
   deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib
-- 
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