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Date:      Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:34:53 -0700 (MST)
From:      Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com>
To:        Jeremy Chadwick <freebsd@jdc.parodius.com>
Cc:        Mike Andrews <mandrews@bit0.com>, freebsd-stable@freebsd.org, Miroslav Lachman <000.fbsd@quip.cz>
Subject:   Re: New BSD Installer
Message-ID:  <alpine.BSF.2.00.1202161817500.47990@wonkity.com>
In-Reply-To: <20120217001829.GA59869@icarus.home.lan>
References:  <4F355A5B.9080007@rewt.org.uk> <4F35743B.4020302@os2.kiev.ua> <4F37DBA3.7030304@cran.org.uk> <20120213195554.O46120@sola.nimnet.asn.au> <092c01cceb40$2dc8f240$895ad6c0$@fisglobal.com> <CAN6yY1uVhXMntWaK=P4dPrKY3aLR2fsKMWfS7Ncvpwy-XKM31Q@mail.gmail.com> <095a01cceb54$04a38fb0$0deaaf10$@fisglobal.com> <4F3ACDE7.8060003@bit0.com> <4F3D9A7C.7080900@quip.cz> <20120217001829.GA59869@icarus.home.lan>

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On Thu, 16 Feb 2012, Jeremy Chadwick wrote:
> On Fri, Feb 17, 2012 at 01:08:28AM +0100, Miroslav Lachman wrote:
>>
>> Please don't mix two things together. gpart can replace fdisk and
>> bsdlabel, but GPT vs. MBR is a different thing. GPT doesn't play
>> nice with GEOM classes which store their metadata on last sector.
>> For example, you can't use gmirror of a whole drives and use GPT on
>> top of this mirror. (and gmirror is not the only one)
>
> This is quite possibly the most concise, clearest definition of a major
> (borderline catastrophic) situation pertaining to GPT + GEOM
> combinations.
>
> I'm going to be more bold than usual: who is fixing this, and when is it
> going to be MFC'd to 9, 8, and probably 7 would be a good idea?  If
> nobody is fixing this, someone had better light a fire under someone's
> ass to fix it.  I'm absolutely amazed this is still a problem.

How can it be fixed?  GPT only has two points of reference, the start 
and end of the disk.  To do more it would have to be aware of a lot of 
possible disk formats.

On the other hand, GEOM stuff works inside GPT partitions.  And if 
that's not acceptable, MBR partitions will be around for a long time.




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