UEFI Project Mu Development Guide

A comprehensive tutorial and reference for UEFI firmware development using Microsoft’s Project Mu framework.

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Welcome

This guide provides a complete learning path for UEFI firmware development through the lens of Project Mu, Microsoft’s open-source UEFI firmware framework. Whether you’re new to firmware development or an experienced EDK2 developer looking to adopt Project Mu, this guide covers everything from initial environment setup to advanced firmware topics.

Who Is This Guide For?

• Firmware engineers starting with UEFI development
• EDK2 developers migrating to the Project Mu ecosystem
• Platform engineers building or maintaining UEFI-based firmware
• Students and researchers exploring firmware and low-level systems programming

Prerequisites

• Basic C programming knowledge
• Familiarity with command-line tools (Git, Python/pip)
• A development machine (Windows 10/11, Ubuntu 22.04+, or macOS)

Guide Structure

Part 1: Getting Started

Introduction to UEFI and Project Mu, environment setup, and your first Hello World application.

Part 2: Project Mu Structure & Tooling

Deep dive into Project Mu’s multi-repo architecture, the stuart build system, dependency management, and CI/CD pipelines.

Part 3: UEFI Core Concepts

Essential UEFI concepts: driver model, protocols and handles, memory services, and boot/runtime services.

Part 4: Essential UEFI Services

Hands-on with key UEFI services: console I/O, graphics output, file system, block I/O, networking, and variables.

Part 5: Advanced Topics

Professional-level topics: boot phases (PEI/DXE), SMM, security, ACPI, capsule updates, DFCI, Rust in firmware, and platform testing.

Part 6: Practical Projects

Complete hands-on projects: custom shell commands, graphical boot menu, network application, and custom boot loader.

Appendices

Reference material: EDK2 build system, migration guide, debugging techniques, specifications, glossary, and alternative firmware.

Study Guides by Role

Not sure where to start? Pick the path that matches your role:

Role	Essential Chapters	Details
UEFI Application Developer	Ch 1-3, 9-18, 28-31	Full guide
Platform / Firmware Engineer	Ch 1-8, 19-20, 23, 27	Full guide
Security Engineer	Ch 1-3, 21-22, 24-25	Full guide
EDK2-to-Mu Migrator	Ch 4-8, App B	Full guide

See the detailed study guides for recommended and optional chapters per role.

How to Use This Guide

• Sequential learning: Follow the parts in order for a structured learning experience from beginner to advanced
• Reference: Jump directly to any chapter for specific topics — each chapter is self-contained with cross-references where needed
• Hands-on: Every chapter includes practical code examples that you can build and run with stuart and QEMU
• Role-based: Follow one of the study guides above for a focused learning path

UEFI Boot Flow Overview

graph LR
    SEC[SEC<br/>Security] --> PEI[PEI<br/>Pre-EFI Init]
    PEI --> DXE[DXE<br/>Driver Execution]
    DXE --> BDS[BDS<br/>Boot Device Select]
    BDS --> RT[Runtime<br/>OS Running]

    style SEC fill:#e74c3c,stroke:#c0392b,color:#fff
    style PEI fill:#e67e22,stroke:#d35400,color:#fff
    style DXE fill:#2ecc71,stroke:#27ae60,color:#fff
    style BDS fill:#3498db,stroke:#2980b9,color:#fff
    style RT fill:#9b59b6,stroke:#8e44ad,color:#fff

Get Started

Ready to begin? Head to Chapter 1: Introduction to UEFI and Project Mu to start your journey.