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Boot Managers

I wrote different boot managers. Three boot managers are available as download. The Plop Boot Manager 5, PlopKexec and the new boot manager PBM6. The new boot manager is under development.

Boot Manager Comparison Chart

Plop Boot Manager 5 PlopKexec Plop Boot Manager 6
PBM6

Version 5.0.15 1.8.1 Test

Release Date 15/Apr/2013 14/Feb/2024 BIOS: 01/Sep/2024
EFI: 06/Feb/2023

Install to MBR YES NO NO

Install into BIOS as Option Rom YES NO NO

Can be started from

Syslinux, GRUB, LILO YES YES YES

Network YES YES YES

Windows Boot Menu YES NO YES

Floppy YES NO YES

CD/DVD YES YES YES

USB YES YES YES

UEFI NO YES YES

Can boot

IDE/SATA Hard Disk YES YES YES

USB Thumb Drive/Hard Disk YES YES YES

IDE CD/DVD YES YES YES

SATA CD/DVD NO YES YES

USB CD/DVD NO YES YES

Floppy YES NO YES

MBR / Logical Limited YES YES

Support for GPT NO YES YES

Boot other OS than Linux YES NO YES

Native Drivers

IDE YES YES YES

SATA NO* YES YES

USB 1.1 UHCI, OHCI YES YES YES

USB 2.0 EHCI YES YES YES

USB 3.0 xHCI NO YES YES

USB Thumb Drive/Hard Disk YES YES YES

USB Keyboard NO** YES YES

USB HUB NO YES YES

USB CD/DVD NO YES YES

PCMCIA Limited YES NO

Various

Configure OS partition profiles YES NO NO

Hide partitions YES NO NO

Hidden boot YES NO NO

Password protection YES NO NO

Open Source NO YES NO

Support for blind people NO NO YES

Screenshots

* SATA drives can be used anyway.
** USB Keyboards can be used until the USB boot option has been selected. Then it will be usable again when Linux or Windows booted.