Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:21:04 -0800 From: Doug Barton <dougb@FreeBSD.org> To: Nathan Whitehorn <nwhitehorn@freebsd.org> Cc: David Demelier <demelier.david@gmail.com>, freebsd-current@freebsd.org Subject: Re: BSDInstall: merging to HEAD Message-ID: <4D38C360.5040108@FreeBSD.org> In-Reply-To: <4D38BB87.9070608@freebsd.org> References: <4D309563.1000404@freebsd.org> <4D38AB1F.8090308@gmail.com> <3BC35D04-4E8C-47DC-8487-26D826222ACF@mac.com> <4D38BAE8.5020806@FreeBSD.org> <4D38BB87.9070608@freebsd.org>
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On 01/20/2011 14:47, Nathan Whitehorn wrote:
> 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.
That isn't exactly what I suggested. :) Imagine the following scenario
(which is what I used to do, until our fdisk started using wacky
geometries):
1. Get new computer and/or new hard drive
2. Boot freebsd from installation/live media (aka, disc1)
3. Unceremoniously (and in some cases gleefully) delete all existing
partition/slices
4. Slice the disk, and write out the changes with "regular" MBR
5. Boot windows, install into the first unused slice/partition
Now if by "indicate you intend to run only FreeBSD on the machine" above
you mean that you already have questions built into the process that
covers what I proposed above, then fine. My point is simply that running
the installer on a blank (or newly blank'ed) disk is not by itself a
sign that everything that will be installed understands gpt.
hth,
Doug
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