OpenCorePkg is a modular UEFI bootloader designed to initialize hardware and facilitate the loading of modern operating systems on non-standard or unsupported hardware. It functions as a comprehensive firmware emulation environment, providing the necessary runtime services and memory management to bridge the gap between diverse hardware configurations and operating system requirements.
The project distinguishes itself through its ability to perform runtime kernel patching and system firmware modification, allowing for the injection of drivers and the manipulation of hardware tables during the boot sequence. It includes a robust system configuration manager that handles non-volatile memory variables and ACPI table injection, ensuring that the operating system receives a compatible hardware profile regardless of the underlying physical architecture.
Beyond its core boot capabilities, the project supports a wide range of system utilities, including graphical boot interfaces, multi-boot management, and specialized file system support for various disk formats. It provides extensive tooling for firmware development and debugging, such as virtualized environment integration, debug symbol generation, and automated build processes for firmware components.
The repository includes comprehensive source code and technical documentation to support the development and maintenance of these low-level firmware components.
