How To Build OVMF

Custom bioses for QEMU & UEFI

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Updated 2026-02-15

Setup

Linux

!! NOTE !!: This assumes you are using an Ubuntu Linux host to build; I could not get EDKII to build on Alpine Linux.

$ sudo apt-get install build-essential git uuid-dev iasl nasm

$ git clone https://github.com/tianocore/edk2
$ cd edk2

$ git submodule update --init
$ source edksetup.sh
$ make -C BaseTools/

Windows

Git: https://git-scm.com/downloads/win
Python 3.10+: https://www.python.org/downloads/
Nasm (netwide assembler): https://www.nasm.us/pub/nasm/releasebuilds Install to folder C:\nasm
Intel ASL compiler (ACPI Source Language): https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/developer/topic-technology/open/acpica/download.html windows download link: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/774881/acpi-component-architecture-downloads-windows-binary-tools.html Unzip to folder C:\ASL

Visual Studio Build Tools

Visual Studio 2026 (or latest version) Build Tools, _NOT_ VS Code or the full IDE, only need the build tools: https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/ The download should be for vs_BuildTools.exe
- Check latest SDK versions, get the 10.0.XXXXX.YYYY XXXXX number: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/windows-sdk/downloads
- Command line install from cmd.exe:
```
start /WAIT vs_BuildTools.exe --quiet --wait --nocache --norestart --installPath C:\BuildTools ^
--add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.CoreBuildTools ^
--add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.Windows11SDK.26100 ^
--add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.Tools.x86.x64 ^
--add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.Tools.ARM64
				
```
Get EDK2 & initial setup to build Base Tools:
1. git clone https://github.com/tianocore/edk2
2. cd edk2
3. git submodule update --init
4. Use 32 bit MSVC to build base tools: C:\BuildTools\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars32.bat
5. edksetup.bat VS2026
6. edksetup.bat Rebuild
7. Use 64 bit MSVC to build OVMF or other firmware packages: C:\BuildTools\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars64.bat

MinGW

Grab MinGW from e.g. https://nuwen.net/mingw.html
git clone https://github.com/tianocore/edk2
cd edk2
git submodule update --init
Set env variable for MinGW base path: set BASETOOLS_MINGW_PATH=C:\MinGW
edksetup.bat Mingw-w64
edksetup.bat Rebuild

Building

For X86_64:

GCC: build -a X64 -t GCC -b RELEASE -p OvmfPkg/OvmfPkgX64.dsc

VS Build Tools: build -a X64 -t VS2022 -b RELEASE -p OvmfPkg/OvmfPkgX64.dsc

Clang (Windows): build -a X64 -t CLANGPDB -b RELEASE -p OvmfPkg/OvmfPkgX64.dsc

Clang (Linux): build -a X64 -t CLANGDWARF -b RELEASE -p OvmfPkg/OvmfPkgX64.dsc

edit file Conf/target.txt: change values for ACTIVE_PLATFORM = OvmfPkg/OvmfPkgX64.dsc, TARGET = RELEASE, TARGET_ARCH = X64, TOOL_CHAIN_TAG = VS2022

then run build

Final output files should be in Build/OvmfPkgX64/RELEASE_GCC/FV/, where RELEASE_GCC matches the e.g. -b RELEASE and -t GCC flags

OVMF_CODE.fd
OVMF_VARS.fd
OVMF.fd // Combined CODE and VARS

Adding/Removing DXE drivers or other customizing

Edit files OvmfPkg/OvmfPkgX64.dsc and OvmfPkg/OvmfPkgX64.fdf

For example, to add USB Mouse drivers for "Simple Pointer Protocol" and/or "Absolute Pointer Protocol".

! NOTE !: While you can add both simple and absolute pointer protocols, building with both usually has the Simple Pointer protocol "overwrite" the absolute pointer protocol for USB mouse devices. I recommend using one or the other, or building 2 separate OVMF.fd files, 1 for Simple Pointer, and 1 for Absolute Pointer.

Simple Pointer Protocol:

Add line MdeModulePkg/Bus/Usb/UsbMouseDxe/UsbMouseDxe.inf to OvmfPkg/OvmfPkgX64.dsc under the "Usb Support" section.
Add line INF MdeModulePkg/Bus/Usb/UsbMouseDxe/UsbMouseDxe.inf to OvmfPkg/OvmfPkgX64.fdf under the "Usb Support" section.

Absolute Pointer Protocol:

Add line MdeModulePkg/Bus/Usb/UsbMouseAbsolutePointerDxe/UsbMouseAbsolutePointerDxe.inf to OvmfPkg/OvmfPkgX64.dsc under the "Usb Support" section.
Add line INF MdeModulePkg/Bus/Usb/UsbMouseAbsolutePointerDxe/UsbMouseAbsolutePointerDxe.inf to OvmfPkg/OvmfPkgX64.fdf under the "Usb Support" section.