Well, I got one more computer to try to install slackware64 14.2 on. Having major problems with standard procedure I've always used.

This machine had windows 10 home. By now that is gone. (edit-added..) I have no desire to have a dual boot machine, just linux. So I always erase any windows stuff. BUT some of the 'help' comments are built for 'dual boot' which is a distraction. I've erased all the UEFI partition, gpt, etc...; this IS a UEFI machine - my big mistake.

So - after finally getting the BIOS to allow to boot the DVD, I Used fdisk to delete partitions (/dev/sda1-sda4; /dev/sdb1, sdb2). sda is 256 GB SSD (sata); sdb is a new 1 TB HD installed at shop.

Used fdisk to 'create' swap and root partitions on sda; wrote to disk. fdisk would not allow to change 'type' from 'linux filesystem', but cfdisk will allow to pick 'linux swap', 'linux root x64', 'linux home', or leave at 'linux filesystem'.

Used cfdisk to create sdb1 as 'linux filesystem' (intended for /usr/local, no such option in 'type'), sdb2 as 'linux home'.

Cannot change 'root' partition on sda2 to 'bootable'. fdisk does not respond to 'a' command, and there is no 'boot' column in fdisk output.

Using cfdisk, same thing - it uses 'b' to make bootable, but on this machine 'b' has no effect at all. Also no 'boot' column in output (p).

I notice also that cfdisk - when printing out partition tables, describes partitions as 'NTFS', and 'Linux Filesystem' (or Linux root, or whatever. I'm spooked by the NTFS descriptor - shouldn't that be absent?

This machine DOES have a 'UEFI bios', with which I have *NO* experience. Per Slackware book, I tried to 'change' the 'secure boot' in bios to 'other system' option in computer setup (F2 on boot). Also changed an option from UEFI to 'LEGACY'. Not sure these were correct choices.

THEN, it called 'grub' in the slackware (DVD) install start, booting the 'huge' kernel. From then on it looked just like previous installs, until I reached the problem with partitioning described above.

I'm wondering if the selection of 'Linux root x64' in cfdisk MADE the partition bootable by default. I may try to 'continue' with the setup, formatting, etc and see what happens. If it doesn't fly, I'm pretty much toast with this box, until I get smarter somehow (suggestions?)..

There's a section in the 'setup help' about this UEFI, but I can't READ that while doing the install. I can't find a copy of this file online anywhere (?!?).

(edit) After looking around, I'm about convinced I've purchased an electronic pet rock. Advise anyone not trying to become a guru to stay FAR AWAY from anything with UEFI. Big mistake.

Thanks for comments.

jrc

dont know but things are easier than when there were 4 discs to install .

The way i approach it , keep things as simple as possible, be lazy and do what works for you. Keep it minimalist .


I recently bought a new Hp PC with 64 Gig that had Windows 10 on it which since i think Windows 10 needs an allowance of circa 30gig , i decided to wipe everything and merrily wiped out the boot section as well. The good news is that you can put it back.

So i found it easiest to go for a single iso that can be boot from will have tools needed loaded and that will also install full disrtro be installed from .Go to https://mirrors.slackware.com/slackw...ware-14.2-iso/ and download the dvd iso https://mirrors.slackware.com/slackw...nstall-dvd.iso

its 3 + gig so stick it on a 4gig usb using dd if=/path/to/slackware.iso of= /dev/xxx bs=16M

with my Hp laptop it had secure boot, so access BIOS and disable that and have boot being possible from usb.Stick usb in a female port power off. power up, hit f9 to get boot menu and select usb - it might say hard disk usb or brand. i found luckily that missing efi mini partition was missing and it told me what to do . which was to make size 100 MB of type EF00
drop out of install and create it using tool available and also told me what file type to make it. So basically just follow instructions. When you have partitions set up have a look at mine, there is just 3, it will say "install from" and you just select from menu from memory usb.

I'm sure others will fill in the gaps for me. When it says which partition to install root to, don't worry about /home necessarily since that still allows you to create users and i do have in my install /home/andrew even though i didn't create a specific home partition


now grub should not come into it, i was offered to install lilo , even though after installing the efi , it recognized it but said "install lilo anyway" well boot and braces has allows been my moto .

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That original post was far too long and confusing. My apology.

Here is a short version containing all the essentials:

Have a modern computer which HAD win10 home. Has UEFI Bios, 2 hard drives.

Both drives are now erased - no UEFI partitions or anything else on them.

I've installed Slackware64 14.2 several times on other, non-UEFI machines
with no big hiccups.

How can I proceed correctly to install Slackware64 14.2 on this machine,
and get around the problems posed by UEFI ?

Many Thanks, jrc

well i would probably take one drive off , but then i get confused very easily.



So first get to bios (power up and hit f10 or whatever ) and select disable secure boot, thats so you can boot from usb.

Then go to mirrors and get 64 bit DVD install iso (https://mirrors.slackware.com/slackw...-14.2-iso/)put on onto a usb stick .

Boot from usb- make sure you don't miss setting up efi, my install noticed i didn't have it, or you could partition first

my partitions are just

/dev/sda1 : 100MB file type EF00
/dev/sda2 : Swap
/dev/sda3 : main install partition ext4


So probably since you have installed slackware before the only hurdle is the EFI and UEFI of your PC. cgdisk is a utility whereby you can create a new partition of the right format for the EFI boot stuff . It not that difficult i just played with it to create a EFI on a usb stick.


So basically select new , press enter to you get to size, enter 100M press return. Then type hexcode , type EF00

thats it for the efi

don't worry about the freespace entry before the efo

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Thanks Cap, gives me some encouragement.

I already have install medium, the Slackware64 DVD. Shud hav mentioned that.

So reading the 'setup help' file, discovered 'cgdisk'. This seems to work better.

Now I have 5 partitions, sort of:

/dev/sda = 256G SSD (sata):
sda1 = EFI System (100M), format unknown (type EF00)
sda2 = linux swap (8 GB - same as RAM)
sda3 = linux x86_64 / (root remainder, about 230G)

/dev/sdb = 1 TB HD
sdb1 = 'Linux filesystem' (300G, for /usr/local)
sdb2 = 'linux /home' (632G for users)

Problems develop immediately in 'setup', trying to format
these. Formatted sda2 (swap) ok. Then setup switches to
sdb1 'for root' (!!) NOT what is wanted, and out of
sequence.

There used to be limits on 'number of partitions'...
Maybe I have too many? 5 ? Do I need an 'Extended
Partition' to hold some of them? Basically, 'setup'
wants to write a completely incorrect 'fstab'.

Except for the EFI, I've installed this way (same 4
Partitions) on other computers with exact same
hard drives, machines with no UEFI.

So since I cannot do 'setup' I have no 'system'. Some
docs out there talk about making EFI partition 'FAT32' as
yours is; but with no 'system' cannot even get to it to
do anything. How did you get it to be FAT32 ? Apparently
using code EF00 is not enuf.

edit PS: looking at 'UEFI Install...' docs by 'Rod Smith',
but seem pretty involved. I only WISH it could be just
KISS (simple).

Thanks for your help - jrc

well, I've got work to do; 'Linux only allows 4 primary partitions'....
(http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Partition/fdisk_partitioning.html).

No wonder it got 'out of sequence'...

jrc

PC-BIOS partition tables only allow 4 primary partitions (and extended is a primary, a container for logical drives). This is not OS specific. If you don't like that legacy limitation you can always use LVM partitions. I'm a legacy guy myself :-)

P.S. You can have (practically) as many logical drives on an extended partition as you want. They daisy chain to work around limited addressing.

Unfortunately this is bogus. Supposedly, GPT drives 'do not need extended partitions', and 'can have as many partitions as wanted'...

In addition, there is no option to create any kind of 'extended partition' in fdisk with this GPT drive. Or with cfdisk, or with cgdisk. Option just not available.

Well then, why is Slackware setup unable to deal with 5 partitions???

(LVM partitions ?? hmm)

jrc

With legacy bios, there's always at least one primary partition regardless of OS or partitioning methods. For example, with a PC bios, on BSD your "slice" is a primary partition and your disk labels are akin to logical drives.

I don't think you can boot from GPT partition tables without EFI.

As for LVM, your physical volume ("pv") is a primary. If you want to install Slackware to LVM partitions, I don't think you use "cfdisk" but LVM commands like pvcreate, vgcreate, lvcreate and friends. I'm not too familiar with it, but:

http://www.slackware.com/~alien/arch...README_LVM.TXT

That said, Slackware setup will handle "5 partitions" just fine, but one of the 4 will have to be an extended partition with logical drives.

In other words, GPT drives (like mine) cannot be used with 5 partitions with Slackware, even tho this is NOT a UEFI limitation but a legacy limitation. This is not a useful situation.

jrc

thanks for the link, Grogan, but if I have to do all that I will first use this boat anchor for its main purpose.

jrc

OK - I've decided I really don't need part of the 1 TB drive for /usr/local, but will fit all of /root and /other except /home onto 230 GB - far more than it needs. Then /home will be the big drive, and a total of 4 partitions to assuage Slackware install's constraint to legacy 4 partitions.

running setup now, I'm sure I will need to do 'something' with that UEFI partition before it will be bootable.

Also, still unable to add a 'bootable' flag to / using any fdisk, cfdisk, or cgdisk or gdisk. This may be fatal.

The nearest lake is 100 mi away; probly not an environmentally sound idea anyway.

jrc

ZOWIE ZOWIE ZOWIE !!
It WORKS !!
Menu item during end of install says 'wanna skip LILO for ELILO?' 'yes'
etc etc
Boots just fine from HD.

Thanks to all who did contribute, whether you know it or not. Someday I
'will explore' LVM's...

Marked this 'solved'.. jrc

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Unless you're doing something like installing a boot loader's first stage to a superblock, Linux doesn't need that flag.

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