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shipleythump
n00b
Joined: 03 Sep 2014
Posts: 5
Location: US
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 Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 8:18 pm Post subject: issue with fdisk |
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So, I installed Gentoo several times, years ago. I remember that it was an interesting process to say the least, but I did it. And I was very happy with it. For work reasons or whatever, I haven't been back to Gentoo for a while. Now I have enough hardware laying around, I want to go back to my first true linux love.
That being said, many things have changed. So many in fact that apparently I'm a complete noob again, despite having hauled myself through a couple of installs with little help, and successfully running Gentoo for a while. Now I know this is going to seem like a noob question. Bear in mind that I work on windblows all day at work, so my mind is a little soft towards linux anymore...... I ran through the whole install process, and everything seems to have gone well. However it wouldn't boot into gentoo. Kept trying to pxeboot, so I know it wasn't seeing my boot partition/efi thing. I gave in and decided I did something wrong with regards to disk configuration. I used parted the first time, and decided I'm going to go where I'm more comfortable and use fdisk. HOWEVER, whenever I try to hit "a" to toggle the boot flag, it says
| Code: | Command (m for help): a
a: unknown command |
It says in the handbook to hit "a". I double checked because maybe I missed something. However whenever I hit "m" to see the list of commands there is no mention of toggling the boot flag. Am I missing something? |
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shipleythump
n00b
Joined: 03 Sep 2014
Posts: 5
Location: US
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| Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 8:24 pm Post subject: |
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Actually, I think I may have just figured it out..... Seems I had it set as GPT partition table. You have to have it set as DOS partition table.
Whew, I knew I was missing something small. I searched and searched for this, but in the end I just tried it and it worked. Now, here's hoping it boots after this attempt to install.
I saved my kernel config and make.conf, so we'll see how it goes. |
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NeddySeagoon
Administrator
Joined: 05 Jul 2003
Posts: 54237
Location: 56N 3W
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| Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 8:30 pm Post subject: |
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shipleythump,
GPT works too - you need to have kernel support for GPT though.
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Regards,
NeddySeagoon
Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail. |
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shipleythump
n00b
Joined: 03 Sep 2014
Posts: 5
Location: US
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| Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 9:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Right, but the setup instructions in the handbook don't cover GPT with fdisk. My issue is I rather prefer the older method, and it's an older laptop I'm installing on. Therefore the original setup works better for me, and there is no "a" option to toggle the boot flag with a GPT partition. That was my realization in my second post, but I'm almost done with the install, so we'll see how it went with DOS partition instead of GPT. |
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DONAHUE
Watchman
Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Posts: 7651
Location: Goose Creek SC
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| Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 9:55 pm Post subject: |
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fdisk has been working on gpt disks for the last couple of months with an up-to-date stable tree | Quote: | fx8150 ~ # fdisk -l -V
fdisk from util-linux 2.24.1
fx8150 ~ # fdisk -l
Disk /dev/sda: 238.5 GiB, 256060514304 bytes, 500118192 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt
Disk identifier: 8E96CF21-65E3-478E-87CA-A3BBF5F7AA57
Device Start End Size Type
/dev/sda1 2048 616447 300M Windows recovery environment
/dev/sda2 616448 821247 100M EFI System
/dev/sda3 821248 1083391 128M Microsoft reserved
/dev/sda4 1083392 499195903 237.5G Microsoft basic data
/dev/sda5 499195904 500117503 450M Windows recovery environment |
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Defund the FCC. |
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shipleythump
n00b
Joined: 03 Sep 2014
Posts: 5
Location: US
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| Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 10:00 pm Post subject: |
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Be that as it may, I either overlooked the walkthrough for that part, or it's not covered in the handbook.
Regardless. I just finished the install, the way I'm comfortable with (fdisk on dos). As I couldn't get it to boot the other way. It has booted without issue this time. |
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shipleythump
n00b
Joined: 03 Sep 2014
Posts: 5
Location: US
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| Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 10:05 pm Post subject: |
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I'm happy it booted, but I am not very happy that I compiled the kernel without my ethernet drivers. Guess it's back to the drawing board. Thanks for the help though. Now I get to start the part I was looking forward to. The learning.
(Funny enough, it sees my broadband card, just not my wifi or ethernet *shrug*) |
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DONAHUE
Watchman
Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Posts: 7651
Location: Goose Creek SC
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NeddySeagoon
Administrator
Joined: 05 Jul 2003
Posts: 54237
Location: 56N 3W
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| Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 4:51 pm Post subject: |
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shipleythump,
There is a twist to booting a GPT disk from a BIOS system.
When you create a GPT disk lable, you get a protective MSDOS partition table for free too.
It describes all of the disk, or the first 2.2Tb. The idea being that non GPT aware tools will see the drive as used.
Some brain dead BIOS systems check for the bootable flag on a partition on the drive you want to boot from.
Now, BIOS knows nothing of GPT - it looks at the protective MSDOS partition table.
Its here you need to set the bootable flag. Thats getting harder with fdisk being GPT aware.
You need an old fdisk.
_________________
Regards,
NeddySeagoon
Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail. |
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Installing Gentoo
