Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:47:35 -0600 From: Nathan Whitehorn <nwhitehorn@freebsd.org> To: Doug Barton <dougb@FreeBSD.org> Cc: David Demelier <demelier.david@gmail.com>, freebsd-current@freebsd.org Subject: Re: BSDInstall: merging to HEAD Message-ID: <4D38BB87.9070608@freebsd.org> In-Reply-To: <4D38BAE8.5020806@FreeBSD.org> References: <4D309563.1000404@freebsd.org> <4D38AB1F.8090308@gmail.com> <3BC35D04-4E8C-47DC-8487-26D826222ACF@mac.com> <4D38BAE8.5020806@FreeBSD.org>
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On 01/20/11 16:44, Doug Barton wrote:
> On 01/20/2011 14:15, Chuck Swiger wrote:
>> On Jan 20, 2011, at 1:37 PM, David Demelier wrote:
>> [ ... ]
>>> Why does the installer use GPT partition by default? Do you know
>>> that GPT is not supported on every (even modern) computer ?
>>
>> Sure. Legacy PC/BIOS platforms can work with a hybrid GPT which
>> includes the legacy or "protective" MBR used by pre-EFI systems;
>> FreeBSD 7 and later, recent Linux, MacOS X 10.4 and later should be
>> able to boot from disks with that hybrid format.
>>
>> If you need to dual-boot into Windows, however, and your hardware
>> doesn't provide EFI then you're likely stuck using MBR + PC/BIOS only.
>
> We should not do anything by default that damages the ability to
> dual-boot windows (and by windows I really mean "xp or later" since
> we'll have xp around through 2014). If there are significant
> advantages to gpt as a default when possible then it will be necessary
> to ask the user some intelligent questions such as "Will this system
> be multi-booted?" and if yes, "Will
> ${lowest_common_denominator:-windows} be installed?"
It does do exactly what you suggest. It only uses GPT by default if you
have a totally unformatted disk or indicate you intend to run only
FreeBSD on the machine. Otherwise, you get MBR+bsdlabel just like now.
-Nathan
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