seeking howto use GPT partition drives to install linux

RickDeckard · 12-16-2018, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yancek

I'm not really clear on what you are saying. Do you have a partition EF02 and EF00 on a drive with only windows and also a drive with only Linux or is it one drive with both partitions with windows and Linux? What file(s) do you have on the EF02 partition of the windows drive if it is a separate drive? In Linux, that partition would be bios_grub and I believe it contains the core.img file.

I should have explained myself better. I have three Linux systems (and zero Windows) I boot in that way, with two being BIOS and one being UEFI. I've managed to create and use GPT hard disks on all three machines (thereby not requiring UEFI) with the beginning of the USB stick setup in the aforementioned way, and boot selection from USB.

I may not remember Windows that well but I was under the impression the boot files remain on a separate partition, thereby enabling storage on a big enough USB. I'm most likely in error, and since Windows is of course going to do things differently than Linux don't take me seriously. I'm just tossing around theoretical scenarios in my own skull.

yancek · 12-16-2018, 05:04 PM

If you have only Linux systems, I'm not sure why you are booting from a usb as it could just as easily be done with the bios_grub partition on your hard drive. Whatever works for you.

Quote:

I may not remember Windows that well but I was under the impression the boot files remain on a separate partition

No necessarily and it depends upon which windows is being used. When using UEFI, some of the boot files are on the EFI partition while others are on the system partition. Same goes for both windows and Linux just different files obviously. On a Legacy install of windows, the boot files need to be on a primary partition marked active/bootable. Windows 7 default was using a separate boot partition while 8 and 10 don't use a separate boot partition as they default to EFI.

SaintDanBert · 12-21-2018, 12:34 PM

In reply to RickDeckard and yancek:

This workstation is linux only, and I'm not interested in "Secure Boot" or any of that mess. All that I want is to use GPT Partition tables on my drives and be able to use any of the drives to boot into GRUB menu and from there to one of the GRUB menu configurations.

I know how and have attempted the following with a new 1TB HDD.

use 'gparted'
delete all paritions on the HDD
create a new partition table as GPT
create and format file systems as EXT4
boot linux live media from USB stick and launch the installer
select "Something Else" to config the install target HDD
select a pre-made partition; change; label the partition (for my sanity); name a mount point; format EXT4
I create the following: /boot, /(root), SWAP, /home, /wrk (space for my data)
let the install run

When installer is finished without reporting errors, I try to boot the new HDD. While I get a GRUB menu,
The new drive fails to boot.

When I inspect the new HDD contents, I don't find the EFI parts that I expect to see in /boot and elsewhere.
I don't think that I'm getting the right sort of install.

There is this:

Code:

prompt$ sudo efibootmgr
**********

efibootmgr: EFI variables are not supported on this system.

Yes, I'm using the v2 edition of the linux mint 19 ISO.

Stumped,
~~~ [:¬\] Dan

yancek · 12-21-2018, 02:16 PM

The steps you posted in your last post (18) show that you did NOT create either a bios_grub unformatted partition or an EFI vfat formatted partition. YOu need one or the other and you didn't do that. The link I posted in post 12 above explains that and if you want a GPT drive with a Legacy install that is necessary and is explained in the link. If you don not have an efi partition and want an EFI install, you need to use GParted from the boot media to create it in advance.

Quote:

When I inspect the new HDD contents, I don't find the EFI parts that I expect to see in /boot and elsewhere.

The EFI files are not expected to beet in the boot directory but on the separate EFI partition.

colorpurple21859 · 12-21-2018, 02:30 PM

For efi mode you need to create a 300mb fat32 partition flagged as efi.
The efibootmgr message indicates you are booting in legacy mode.
Are you using the 32bit or 64bit mint iso?