From owner-freebsd-sysinstall@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Oct 25 02:30:07 2011 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-sysinstall@FreeBSD.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id F01661065673 for ; Tue, 25 Oct 2011 02:30:06 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from fbsd8@a1poweruser.com) Received: from mail-03.name-services.com (mail-03.name-services.com [69.64.155.195]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6AE7C8FC08 for ; Tue, 25 Oct 2011 02:30:06 +0000 (UTC) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; q=dns/txt; s=DKIM-NAME-SERVICES; d=a1poweruser.com; h=From:To:Cc:Subject:Message-ID:X-Sender:X-Envelope-From; l=500; bh=XP5ZFdgxBT7CyFWUAm72MRktssLGZHzjjuLII3P9PsE=; b=OElugSQNrHLuiC089FtirGBDpdL+hsyN9AGK3wFDVEoqPrN12Qchx3BeBLqKW4ETzyOl4ryw/LyHR7d7GISHttdJcS8WbnrekLGqqtiFUiFC0S8Nbd7HL0Em+uqf8m5lJGnrnEb9UxLFV2JzoD/V6ZrhpfblI3b0Vqe/2L2B2rw= Received: from [192.168.1.135] ([120.29.64.160]) by mail-03.name-services.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.4675); Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:13:05 -0700 Message-ID: <4EA61B2E.1060201@a1poweruser.com> Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:13:02 +0800 From: Fbsd8 User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.17 (Windows/20080914) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: nwhitehorn@freebsd.org, freebsd-sysinstall@FreeBSD.org References: In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-OriginalArrivalTime: 25 Oct 2011 02:13:05.0862 (UTC) FILETIME=[A1D65660:01CC92BB] X-Sender: fbsd8@a1poweruser.com X-Envelope-From: fbsd8*a1poweruser.com Cc: Subject: Re: FW: bin/161931: bsdinstall(8): (add sysinstall partition config as option) X-BeenThere: freebsd-sysinstall@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Sysinstall Work List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2011 02:30:07 -0000 > > -----Original Message----- > From: Nathan Whitehorn [mailto:nwhitehorn@freebsd.org] > Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 9:32 PM > To: joeb1 > Cc: freebsd-sysinstall@FreeBSD.org > Subject: Re: bin/161931: bsdinstall(8): (add sysinstall partition config as > option) > > On 10/23/11 20:30, joeb1 wrote: >> The following reply was made to PR bin/161931; it has been noted by GNATS. >> >> From: "fbsd8" >> To:, >> >> Cc: >> Subject: Re: bin/161931: bsdinstall(8): (add sysinstall partition config > as option) >> Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:28:42 +0800 >> >> Yes I mean the mbr+bsdlabel method as there is no other method > available in >> sysinstall. And along with this, help info needs to be added explaining >> under what conditions one method or the other is used. Help saying > something >> along the lines of older PC bios./hard drives use the mbr+bsdlabel >> sysinstall method and newer PC bios./hard drives (manufactured 2010+) > need >> to use the bsdinstall method because pc manufactures and Microsoft have >> changed the boot process. Or what ever is the true reason for this >> difference. Installers need to have the correct info so they can make > the >> correct decision about what method to select. > > That's fully supported, if you want to do it, and is even the default if > the drive is already MBR partitioned. The difference between the two is > that GPT is a lot more flexible than MBR (no 4-partition limit, for > instance), and allows nice things like labels. There's no old/new > machine difference -- 386s can boot GPT just as well as Core i7s. But > it's really a matter of personal preference. The only real difference is > that you can't dual-boot Windows with a GPT disk (this is why only the > "Entire Disk for FreeBSD" option in the installer sets up GPT). We can > extend the online help to this effect. > -Nathan > > > Nathan I do not understand how you can say "That's fully supported, if you want to do it, and is even the default if the drive is already MBR partitioned." I installed rc1 on a ata hard drive containing ms/xp and a second time on same HD containing FBSD 8.2 and I was not shown any dialog boxes offering mbr/bsdlabel config method. A detailed review of bsdinstall resulted in NO options every being shown to point to a dialog driven mbr/bsdlabel HD config method. So if its there you really need massive corrections to allow the user to fall into it. From the installers view point, if there are no dialog boxes leading the user through the process then that function does not exist. Your description of the differences between the two HD config methods is a great example of the type of help info that should be displayed in a help dialog box. If I use bsdinstall and then want to return to 8.x I get error msg because the secondary GPT table from the end of the HD still exists. I got a small script that erases the primary GPT table from the front of the HD and the secondary GPT table from the end of the HD from here. http://wiki.freenas.org/faq:0129 If you want to development a closer developer / tester relationship I am willing to work directly with you outside of the PR system. Joe