<refsect1>
<title>Description</title>
- <para><command>bootctl</command> can check the EFI boot loader status, list
- available entries, and install, update, or remove the
- <citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd-boot</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry>
- boot loader on the current system.</para>
+ <para><command>bootctl</command> can check the EFI boot loader status, list available boot loaders and boot loader
+ entries, and install, update, or remove the
+ <citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd-boot</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry> boot loader on the
+ current system.</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
<varlistentry>
<term><option>--no-variables</option></term>
- <listitem><para>Do not touch the EFI boot variables.</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para>Do not touch the firmware's boot loader list stored in EFI variables.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<xi:include href="standard-options.xml" xpointer="no-pager"/>
<varlistentry>
<term><option>status</option></term>
- <listitem><para>Shows the currently installed versions of the boot loader binaries and all current
- EFI boot variables. If no command is specified, this is the implied default.</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para>Shows brief information about the system firmware, the boot loader that was used to boot the
+ system, the boot loaders currently available in the ESP, the boot loaders listed in the firmware's list of boot
+ loaders and the current default boot loader entry. If no command is specified, this is the implied
+ default.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><option>list</option></term>
- <listitem><para>Shows all configured boot loader entries.</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para>Shows all available boot loader entries implementing the <ulink
+ url="https://github.com/systemd/systemd/blob/master/docs/BOOT_LOADER_SPECIFICATION.md">Boot Loader
+ Specification</ulink>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
- <term><option>update</option></term>
+ <term><option>install</option></term>
- <listitem><para>Updates all installed versions of
- <citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd-boot</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
- if the current version is newer than the version installed in the EFI system
- partition. This also includes the EFI default/fallback loader at
- <filename><replaceable>ESP</replaceable>/EFI/BOOT/BOOT*.EFI</filename>. A
- systemd-boot entry in the EFI boot variables is created if there is no current
- entry. The created entry will be added to the end of the boot order list.</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para>Installs systemd-boot into the EFI system partition. A copy of <command>systemd-boot</command>
+ will be stored as the EFI default/fallback loader at
+ <filename><replaceable>ESP</replaceable>/EFI/BOOT/BOOT*.EFI</filename>. The boot loader is then added to the
+ top of the firmware's boot loader list.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
- <term><option>install</option></term>
+ <term><option>update</option></term>
- <listitem><para>Installs systemd-boot into the EFI system partition. A copy of systemd-boot will
- be stored as the EFI default/fallback loader at
- <filename><replaceable>ESP</replaceable>/EFI/BOOT/BOOT*.EFI</filename>. A systemd-boot entry in
- the EFI boot variables is created and added to the top of the boot order list.</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para>Updates all installed versions of
+ <citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd-boot</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry>, if the
+ available version is newer than the version installed in the EFI system partition. This also includes the EFI
+ default/fallback loader at <filename><replaceable>ESP</replaceable>/EFI/BOOT/BOOT*.EFI</filename>. The boot
+ loader is then added to end of the firmware's boot loader list if missing.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><option>remove</option></term>
- <listitem><para>Removes all installed versions of systemd-boot from the EFI system partition,
- and removes systemd-boot from the EFI boot variables.</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para>Removes all installed versions of <command>systemd-boot</command> from the EFI system partition
+ and the firmware's boot loader list.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>