Multi-platform firmware support

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

accessing a plurality of platform-specific firmware images;

comparing first binary content to other binary content of files in the plurality of platform-specific firmware images to identify a first file that is the same in all of the plurality of platform-specific firmware images;

determining that second binary content differs from third binary content in the plurality of platform-specific firmware images to identify a second file having a first version in a first of the plurality of platform-specific firmware images and a second version in a second of the plurality of platform-specific firmware images;

copying the first file to a core firmware volume of a multiplatform image;

copying the first version of the second file to the core firmware volume of the multiplatform image;

copying the second version of the second file to a platform-specific firmware volume of the multiplatform image, the platform-specific firmware volume corresponding to the second of the plurality of platform-specific firmware images; and

modifying the first version of the second file to execute when the multiplatform image is used to boot a computer implementing a platform corresponding to the second of the plurality of platform-specific firmware images.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising generating a multiplatform driver identifying a plurality of platforms corresponding to the plurality of platform-specific firmware images.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 further comprising copying the multiplatform driver to the multiplatform image.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising compressing the first file.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising compressing the first version of the second file.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising compressing the second version of the second file.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 where modifying the first version of the second file includes adding a dependency identifying a globally unique identifier (GUID) for the platform corresponding to the second of the plurality of platform-specific firmware images.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

accessing a plurality of platform-specific firmware images;

identifying a file that is included in a first one of the plurality of platform-specific firmware images and not included in a second one of the plurality of platform-specific firmware images, the identifying comprising comparing binary content of the file to second binary content of respective second files in the first one of the plurality of platform-specific firmware images and in the second one of the plurality of platform-specific firmware images;

storing the file to a core firmware volume of a multiplatform image; and

modifying the file to execute when the multiplatform image is used to boot a computer implementing a platform corresponding to the first one of the plurality platform-specific firmware images from which the file was identified.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising generating a multiplatform driver identifying a plurality of platforms corresponding to the plurality of platform-specific firmware images.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 further comprising copying the multiplatform driver to the multiplatform image.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising compressing the file.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising:

identifying common files that are the same in all of the plurality of platform-specific firmware images; and

copying the common files to the core firmware volume of the multiplatform image.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 further comprising compressing at least some of the common files.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising:

identifying a differing file that is different in at least two of the plurality of platform-specific firmware images; and

copying the differing file to a plurality of platform-specific firmware volumes corresponding to the at least two of the plurality of platform-specific firmware images.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 further comprising compressing the differing file.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 where modifying the file includes adding a dependency to the file identifying a globally unique identifier (GUID) for the platform corresponding to the one of the plurality platform-specific firmware images.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a multiplatform image which can be used to boot a computer implementing one of a plurality of platforms, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:

a core firmware volume comprising:

a plurality of common files used by each of the plurality of platforms, and

at least one file used by a first one of the plurality of platforms and not a second one of the plurality of platforms, wherein the at least one file includes a dependency expression creating a dependency on a globally unique identifier (GUID) corresponding to the one of the plurality of platforms; and

one or more platform-specific firmware volumes corresponding to a first platform-specific firmware image of one or more platform-specific firmware images, wherein the one or more platform-specific firmware volumes comprise files used by their respective platform, wherein the files in the one or more platform-specific firmware volumes are not used by all of the plurality of platforms.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 further comprising a multiplatform driver identifying the plurality of platforms.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein the multiplatform driver identifies a plurality of GUIDs corresponding to the plurality of platforms.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein a first platform-specific firmware volume of the one or more platform-specific firmware volumes is compressed.