How to change ZFSBootMenu menu countdown?

[agatho-daemon]

I am using the prebuilt ZFSBootMenu EFI executable on Ubuntu 24.04. I read the docs regarding zbm.timeout but strugling on how to set it. The first thing I did was to set it as an org.zfsbootmenu:commandline, but then I realized this is meant for the Ubuntu kernel. Then I set the property for the zpool, that didn't work either.

I know it can be set if I used rEFInd. But how about the prebuilt binary?

[no-usernames-left]

The first thing I did was to set it as an org.zfsbootmenu:commandline, but then I realized this is meant for the Ubuntu kernel.

I don't believe this is the case; I do not use Ubuntu but yet I use that parameter in my ZFS pool and it works great.

[agatho-daemon]

Can you please share the command you have used?
The one I used: is:

sudo zfs set org.zfsbootmenu:commandline="quiet zbm.timeout=3" zroot/ROOT

I have also tried using 'timeout=3' with no luck.

From documentations on these parameters I understand that the zfs dataset properties are read after ZBN menu kernel loads, so I assumed this is passed to the OS kernel. Also in setting the UEFI entries through efibootmgr the -u is not used so I also assumed ZBM doesn't respond to that either.

I tried setting the same with zpool:

sudo zpool set org.zfsbootmenu:zbm.timeout=3 zroot

That also didn't have any effect on the countdown.

Then reading further in the rEFInd part of the setup, I realized that it has to be passed to ZFSBootMenu EFI binary excutable itself since that what rEFInd,/GRUB does.

[classabbyamp]

you can use zbm-kcl (docs) to edit the kernel commandline embedded in the ZBM EFI executable

[agatho-daemon]

Thanks!
I have overlook that part in the site! I used:

cat /boot/efi/EFI/ZBM/VMLINUZ.EFI | sudo zbm-kcl -a zbm.timeout=3 -r zbm.timeout -o /boot/efi/EFI/ZBM/zfsbootmenu.EFI -
sudo /boot/efi/EFI/ZBM/zfsbootmenu.EFI /boot/efi/EFI/ZBM/VMLINUZ.EFI

Now the countdown does start at 3! 🎉 🚀

[classabbyamp]

you're really making this more complex than it is:

zbm-kcl -e /boot/efi/EFI/ZBM/VMLINUZ.EFI

will open an editor and allow you to adjust the commandline in place

[agatho-daemon]

Thanks for the clarification. I just wanted to be safe since I am messing with what boots the system.