The Gentoo handbook presently only describes how to install on MBR partitioned media[1]. With the advent of hard drives larger than 2 TiB[2] where MBR limitations prevent using all of the disk space, a different method of managing the partitioning needs to be used. I propose to add to the handbook part 1 chapter 4 a section about using sys-apps/gdisk for partitioning using GPT, and a note on filesystem choice. To chapter 10 of the amd64 and x86 handbook, configuration instructions for the extlinux boot loader would be added. The instructions would be similar to [3]. If the documentation team agrees, I will start working on an update of the handbook and put it up for review. [1] http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=4 [2] http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=866 [3] http://chithanh.blogspot.com/2010/08/booting-from-btrfs-filesystem-in-gpt.html
Yeah, this is something that should be added, since GPT drives are probably the way of the future. As long as the required packages are stable (and will likely need to be part of the base-system set, so they work out-of-the-box on autobuilt media), and if you can do the documentation in a suitably cross-platform style, then by all means, let's get some GPT lovin' into the handbook. I assume that x86/amx64 aren't the only arches capable of using GPT drives?
The partitioning part needs sys-apps/gdisk which is planned to go stable on amd64/x86 in a few weeks. The boot loader for amd64/x86 is extlinux, which is also stable. For ppc, yaboot supports GPT iirc.
(In reply to comment #2) > The partitioning part needs sys-apps/gdisk which is planned to go stable on > amd64/x86 in a few weeks. > > The boot loader for amd64/x86 is extlinux, which is also stable. > For ppc, yaboot supports GPT iirc. Any word on this? GPT is definitely something I'd like to add to the handbooks, as long as the tools are stable and distributed with the installation media.
sys-apps/gdisk is not shipped with the installation media, unfortunately. sys-block/parted is on the InstallCD, but the code to mark partitions legacy BIOS bootable was recently added to upstream vcs, and is not in any release yet.
(In reply to comment #2) > The boot loader for amd64/x86 is extlinux, which is also stable. > For ppc, yaboot supports GPT iirc. sys-boot/grub-0.97-r10 boots my amd64 box from a GPT disk just fine with no fancy settings.
@jkt booting from hybrid GPT/MBR is possible with GRUB legacy, however the boot partition needs to be contained in the first 2 TB of the disk. sys-block/parted-2.4 with support for marking partitions legacy BIOS bootable has been added to portage recently. After it is marked stable and finds its way into the install media, the documentation can be updated. I will write a handbook update proposal in the next days.
Handbook is updated with instructions on using parted (since that is the tool available in the livecds) as well as a note to the users that fdisk is no option if a partition >2TB is going to be used. Only updated it for amd64/x86 though.
