From owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Jan 20 22:47:42 2011 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A4237106566B for ; Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:47:42 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from nwhitehorn@freebsd.org) Received: from adsum.doit.wisc.edu (adsum.doit.wisc.edu [144.92.197.210]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 76D8E8FC12 for ; Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:47:42 +0000 (UTC) MIME-version: 1.0 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII; format=flowed Received: from avs-daemon.smtpauth1.wiscmail.wisc.edu by smtpauth1.wiscmail.wisc.edu (Sun Java(tm) System Messaging Server 7u2-7.05 32bit (built Jul 30 2009)) id <0LFC00308FBHB800@smtpauth1.wiscmail.wisc.edu>; Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:47:41 -0600 (CST) Received: from anacreon.physics.wisc.edu (anacreon.physics.wisc.edu [128.104.160.176]) by smtpauth1.wiscmail.wisc.edu (Sun Java(tm) System Messaging Server 7u2-7.05 32bit (built Jul 30 2009)) with ESMTPSA id <0LFC00J58FBBSJ20@smtpauth1.wiscmail.wisc.edu>; Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:47:35 -0600 (CST) Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:47:35 -0600 From: Nathan Whitehorn In-reply-to: <4D38BAE8.5020806@FreeBSD.org> To: Doug Barton Message-id: <4D38BB87.9070608@freebsd.org> X-Spam-Report: AuthenticatedSender=yes, SenderIP=128.104.160.176 X-Spam-PmxInfo: Server=avs-9, Version=5.6.0.2009776, Antispam-Engine: 2.7.2.376379, Antispam-Data: 2011.1.20.223615, SenderIP=128.104.160.176 References: <4D309563.1000404@freebsd.org> <4D38AB1F.8090308@gmail.com> <3BC35D04-4E8C-47DC-8487-26D826222ACF@mac.com> <4D38BAE8.5020806@FreeBSD.org> User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; FreeBSD powerpc; en-US; rv:1.9.2.13) Gecko/20110104 Thunderbird/3.1.7 Cc: David Demelier , freebsd-current@freebsd.org Subject: Re: BSDInstall: merging to HEAD X-BeenThere: freebsd-current@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussions about the use of FreeBSD-current List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:47:42 -0000 On 01/20/11 16:44, Doug Barton wrote: > On 01/20/2011 14:15, Chuck Swiger wrote: >> On Jan 20, 2011, at 1:37 PM, David Demelier wrote: >> [ ... ] >>> Why does the installer use GPT partition by default? Do you know >>> that GPT is not supported on every (even modern) computer ? >> >> Sure. Legacy PC/BIOS platforms can work with a hybrid GPT which >> includes the legacy or "protective" MBR used by pre-EFI systems; >> FreeBSD 7 and later, recent Linux, MacOS X 10.4 and later should be >> able to boot from disks with that hybrid format. >> >> If you need to dual-boot into Windows, however, and your hardware >> doesn't provide EFI then you're likely stuck using MBR + PC/BIOS only. > > We should not do anything by default that damages the ability to > dual-boot windows (and by windows I really mean "xp or later" since > we'll have xp around through 2014). If there are significant > advantages to gpt as a default when possible then it will be necessary > to ask the user some intelligent questions such as "Will this system > be multi-booted?" and if yes, "Will > ${lowest_common_denominator:-windows} be installed?" It does do exactly what you suggest. It only uses GPT by default if you have a totally unformatted disk or indicate you intend to run only FreeBSD on the machine. Otherwise, you get MBR+bsdlabel just like now. -Nathan