"SDA must have a GPT disk label" error while installing RHEL6 - "IBM x3650 M3" Server
 

Hi everyone,

I work at a corporation where we have to install RHEL6 on an "IBM System x3650 M3" server. We have configured RAID-5 on a 5 disk array (each disk is 300 Gb) using the "MegaRaid Config Utility" that comes packaged with the IBM server.

We created a few partitions as per our requirments and put the file-system on these partitions as "ext4". But when we press the next button, the following problems come up:

1.) First it says that /boot/efi partition isn't created.
---- I simply created /boot/efi partition with a file-system type of "EFI System Partition"

2.) After performing the above step and trying to go forward using the next button, it shows an error saying "sda must have a GPT disk label".

Now we are stumped at this point. I tried searching Google, tried reading tutorials for installing RHEL6 but to no avail.

I saw in many places, they use gpart to create a GPT disk label, but in our case, we can't even boot Linux so how can we use gpart? I also checked if there was a text mode for the installer, but the installation CD automatically goes into GUI based mode and doesn't prompt for it or anything.

If anybody knows the answer, please help me.

Thanks in advance.

you can use the gparted live cd

Hi brian,

thanks for the answer. But could you please explain what is happening to me??

thanks

Not too sure as I don't use RHEL. The gparted live cd will allow you to boot into a live environment and create the required GPT partitions, then you can try installing again.

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to let you know that we solved the problem. I have detailed the steps below:

1.) The need for the "GPT Disk Label" was still there but we worked around the problem by first choosing one of the default setups for RHEL6. We let the default-setup format and prepare the file-system as it pleased and I am guessing that it created a "GPT Disk Label" for our disk.

2.) Once it had created and formatted the partitions, we just canceled the setup and rebooted the server. At this stage, my guess would be that the RHEL6 setup did everything that was necessary to prepare the file-system -- including creating a "GPT Disk Label".

3.) After rebooting, we simply entered setup again and choose the 'custom installation' and created partitions according to our specifications.

4.) Hitting the next button did the trick and we got to the next stage of installation.

Thanks for everyone for helping out...

Ok thanks buddy for ur good post.
I also had done the same thing the very before, yup it sort-out the problem for instant however i would like to know the
stable and the reliable solution for future.

if u do have any other solution i would like know it.

thanks for your co-operation

Have the same issue
 

I'll go ahead and try your workaround which looks promising and get back to let you know who it went.
Thanks

A simpler way ?
 

First of all thank you for your thread ! I had the same pb with RHEL6.3 + IBM HS23 blades
To put the GPT label i followed the follwoing procedure ( my disk was /dev/sda ) :

inject "CTRL+ALT+F2" during your installation process to go on command line with 'parted' utility.
then return to installation process with CTRL+ALT+F1

Everything should now be fine with your custom partitionning . Don't forget to create a /boot/efi by selecting it in the dropdown menu . DO NOT TRY to type it yourself as partition type will not be the good one ( EXT4 instead of EFS File system )

I hope this help!

hello buddy
i have dual boot system and your above solution is change hard disk label to gpt and it will distory my windows also. so give me a solution by which i can solve gpt label problem with out harming my windows version

This original thread is two years old now, and doesn't involve keeping data on the disk. You need to open your own thread for your own question. Also, you need to provide actual details...things like version/distro of Linux, your system setup, your goals, etc.

GPT Disk error in duel boot
 

Hi everyone,

When i installing rhel for duel booting the problem is with GPT disk label error when i click on INSTALL IN FREE SPACE in rhel it is showing that SDA must have a GPT disk label,Please help on this issue.

Thanks

As we told piyush.sh143, this original thread was two years old, and to not re-open old threads, nor to post their own question on someone elses. Per the LQ Rules, start a new thread for a new question.

And this has been answered in this thread previously...did you read/understand/try any of the workarounds or suggestions listed? Gparted? Have you contacted Red Hat Support, since you're using RHEL?

Thanks for the info. I have updated user "benjulios" reply to make it correct for my system which did not allow a disk mention in the mklabel command in parted, instead one has to "select" the disk first (this is using centos 6.5);

more details regarding this issue
 

This error still occurs, and I found out why, and I found a slightly easier way to work around the solution.

To boot from (U)EFI, the system must be on a GPT disk. If you need to remain with MBR disk partitioning, then you also need to use legacy (BIOS) boot.

In RHEL/CENTOS/SL/OEL, if you come upon the error, "sdX must have a GPT disk label", go back to the previous page, select a partitioning scheme that involves formatting the system (e.g. use entire disk), ensure 'modify partitioning scheme' is checked, and go forward again. Then modify their scheme to fit what you want to have in the end.

Now when you click next you'll get a warning window, looks just like the error window before, but this warns that you're about to destroy all the data on the disk. Choose to go forward or not. Going forward formats the disk with GPT instead of MBR, and like all such formatting, it does erase the entire disk.