Where is the source code?

[Sturwandan]

It's quite strange to see a binary file inside a github repo without explanation.

Anyway, I have tried to take grub2 binary from some 32-bit distro and renamed it to bootia32.efi and it also worked, as far a I remember, so what is this built from anyway?

[uncledulgaria]

I too have been trying to establish the origins of this - one explanation I have seen is this :-
https://www.exefiles.com/en/efi/bootia32-efi/
If these explanations are correct, then it is proprietary code.

[goldstar611]

I don't know about the source for the binary here but I did find a blog with steps to compile grub for 32-bit booting. Check Doing it the hard way section of https://sturmflut.github.io/linux/ubuntu/2015/02/04/installing-ubuntu-on-baytrail-tablets-version-2/

[2024 edit]: In a Debian 12 slim image:

sudo apt install git bison libopts25 libselinux1-dev autogen m4 autoconf help2man libopts25-dev flex libfont-freetype-perl automake autotools-dev libfreetype6-dev texinfo
sudo apt install make autopoint pkg-config libtool  

sudo apt install gawk
sudo apt purge mawk

git clone git://git.savannah.gnu.org/grub.git --depth=1

./bootstrap
./configure --with-platform=efi --target=i386 --program-prefix=""
make
cd grub-core

mkdir -p /usr/local/share/locale
grub-mkstandalone --directory . -O i386-efi -o bootia32.efi

ls -alh bootia32.efi