UEFI firmware is a software program that provides the interface between the hardware and the operating system on a computer. UEFI stands for Unified Extensible Firmware Interface and it is a replacement for the traditional BIOS (Basic Input/Output System). UEFI firmware has several advantages over BIOS, such as faster boot times, better security, larger disk support, and graphical user interface. Some of the features of UEFI firmware are12:
* It can use and read certain file systems: UEFI firmware can access files on partitions formatted with FAT12, FAT16, or FAT32 file systems. This allows UEFI to load boot loaders, kernels, and configuration files from these partitions without relying on the legacy MBR (Master Boot Record) or boot sector code. UEFI firmware can also support other file systems, such as NTFS or ext4, with additional drivers.
* It is loaded from a fixed boot disk position: UEFI firmware is stored in a ROM chip on the motherboard, but it also requires a special partition on the boot disk to store additional files and drivers.
This partition is called the EFI System Partition (ESP) and it is usually the first partition on the disk.
The ESP must have a specific GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) and must be formatted with a FAT file system. The UEFI firmware will look for the ESP on the boot disk and load the files from there.
The other options are false or irrelevant. UEFI firmware does not read and interpret partition tables, it relies on the operating system to do that. UEFI firmware does not store its entire configuration on the /boot/ partition, it stores some of its settings in the NVRAM (Non-Volatile Random Access Memory) on the motherboard and some of its files on the ESP. UEFI firmware is not stored in a special area within the GPT (GUID Partition Table) metadata, it is stored in a ROM chip and an ESP. GPT is a partitioning scheme that supports larger disks and more partitions than the legacy MBR scheme. References:
* Linux Essentials - Linux Professional Institute Certification Programs1
* Exam 101 Objectives - Linux Professional Institute2
* How to Boot and Install Linux on a UEFI PC With Secure Boot3
* How to Access UEFI Settings From Linux - It's FOSS4
* UEFI firmware updates for linux-surface - GitHub5

/usr/local/bin/
Explanation:
According to the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS), the /usr/local/ directory is for use by the system administrator when installing software locally. It needs to be safe from being overwritten when the system software is updated. The /usr/local/bin/ directory is for local binaries that are not managed by the distribution package manager. These binaries should be accessible to all users on the system. Therefore, binaries that have been compiled by the system administrator should be placed in /usr/local/bin/ to follow the FHS. References:
* Filesystem Hierarchy Standard - Linux Foundation
* Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS) | Linux# - Geek University

mtab
Explanation
The /etc/mtab file is a system-generated file that lists all the currently mounted devices and their mount options. It is updated automatically by the mount and umount commands. It can be used to check which devices are mounted and where, as well as their filesystem type and mount options. The /etc/mtab file hasthe same format as the /etc/fstab file, which is a user-edited file that lists the devices that should be mounted at boot time or on demand. References:
* LPIC-1 Exam 101 Objectives, Topic 101: System Architecture, 101.1 Determine and configure hardware settings, Key Knowledge Areas, The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities: /etc/mtab
* LPIC-1 101-500 Exam Prep, Section 1: System Architecture, Lesson 1.1: Determine and Configure Hardware Settings, Video: 1.1.4 Mounting and Unmounting Filesystems, Transcript: The /etc/mtab file is a system-generated file that lists all the currently mounted devices and their mount options.

The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is a firmware program that is stored in a ROM chip on the motherboard, and it performs some basic tasks when the system is powered on, such as:
* initializing the hardware components and peripherals
* performing the power-on self-test (POST) to check the system integrity
* selecting a boot device from the boot order list
* loading and executing the bootloader program from the boot device
The boot device is the data carrier that contains the bootloader, which is a small program that is responsible for loading and executing the kernel. The boot device can be a hard disk, a USB drive, a CD-ROM, or a network device. The BIOS has a boot order list, which is a sequence of possible boot devices that the BIOS will search for a valid bootloader. The boot order list can be configured by the user through the BIOS setup utility, which is usually accessed by pressing a key such as F2, F10, or Del during the POST.
The BIOS will search for a bootloader by means of a special signature, which is a sequence of bytes that indicates the presence of a bootloader. The signature is usually located in the first sector of the boot device, which is called the boot sector or the master boot record (MBR). The BIOS will read the boot sector of each boot device in the boot order list, and check if the last two bytes are 0x55 and 0xAA, which are the standard boot signature. If the boot signature is found, the BIOS will load the boot sector into memory and execute it.
If the boot signature is not found, the BIOS will move on to the next boot device in the boot order list. If none of the boot devices have a valid boot signature, the BIOS will display an error message such as:
No bootable device - insert boot disk and press any key
References:
How does the BIOS know where the bootloader is located? - Super User
Bootloader: What is it and how does it work? - IONOS
Boot Process with Systemd in Linux - GeeksforGeeks
Linux Boot Process Step-by-Step Explained - javatpoint