From owner-freebsd-sysinstall@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Oct 24 13:31:40 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 323BE106564A for ; Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:31:40 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from nwhitehorn@freebsd.org) Received: from argol.doit.wisc.edu (argol.doit.wisc.edu [144.92.197.212]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 05A868FC0C for ; Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:31:39 +0000 (UTC) MIME-version: 1.0 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII; format=flowed Received: from avs-daemon.smtpauth3.wiscmail.wisc.edu by smtpauth3.wiscmail.wisc.edu (Sun Java(tm) System Messaging Server 7u2-7.05 32bit (built Jul 30 2009)) id <0LTK00F00O8RZK00@smtpauth3.wiscmail.wisc.edu> for freebsd-sysinstall@FreeBSD.org; Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:31:39 -0500 (CDT) Received: from comporellon.tachypleus.net (adsl-75-50-90-239.dsl.mdsnwi.sbcglobal.net [75.50.90.239]) by smtpauth3.wiscmail.wisc.edu (Sun Java(tm) System Messaging Server 7u2-7.05 32bit (built Jul 30 2009)) with ESMTPSA id <0LTK00EPBO8Q4U00@smtpauth3.wiscmail.wisc.edu>; Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:31:38 -0500 (CDT) Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:31:37 -0500 From: Nathan Whitehorn In-reply-to: <201110240130.p9O1U66m000605@freefall.freebsd.org> To: joeb1 Message-id: <4EA568B9.6010900@freebsd.org> X-Spam-Report: AuthenticatedSender=yes, SenderIP=75.50.90.239 X-Spam-PmxInfo: Server=avs-11, Version=5.6.1.2065439, Antispam-Engine: 2.7.2.376379, Antispam-Data: 2011.10.24.132116, SenderIP=75.50.90.239 References: <201110240130.p9O1U66m000605@freefall.freebsd.org> User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; FreeBSD amd64; rv:7.0) Gecko/20110928 Thunderbird/7.0 Cc: freebsd-sysinstall@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: 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: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:31:40 -0000 On 10/23/11 20:30, joeb1 wrote: > The following reply was made to PR bin/161931; it has been noted by GNATS. > > From: "joeb1" > 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