[opensuse-project] Handling GPT disk labels
GPT disk-labels (partition tables) are a new type of disk-labels that don't have the limitations of the ms-dos partition table. The ms-dos partition table is what almost everybody uses right now. The most notable of the ms-dos partition table limitations is the 2 TB limit for a partition. We are not that far away from this kind of capacity on the desktop. To properly handle GPT disk labels, we need a tool that can write them (parted) and a boot manager that understands them (grub2). Luckily, the filesystem limits are a little farther. Can this be considered for inclusion in 10.3? --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 The Thursday 2007-06-28 at 14:17 +0300, Silviu Marin-Caea wrote: ...
To properly handle GPT disk labels, we need a tool that can write them (parted) and a boot manager that understands them (grub2). Luckily, the filesystem limits are a little farther.
Can this be considered for inclusion in 10.3?
Not that simple, IMO. You also need mount tools to be able to read them, so that mount by label in fstab works. The udev system would have to display them in /dev/disk/, too. - -- Cheers, Carlos E. R. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.5 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Made with pgp4pine 1.76 iD8DBQFGg59ctTMYHG2NR9URAoPAAJ9ikOPZATNMaSXnUDwhpoclZXiUnwCfc0qG VGdxjYKCL8BREjaCgSsVw6U= =tP6H -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org
On Thursday 28 June 2007 02:45:22 pm Carlos E. R. wrote:
The Thursday 2007-06-28 at 14:17 +0300, Silviu Marin-Caea wrote:
...
To properly handle GPT disk labels, we need a tool that can write them (parted) and a boot manager that understands them (grub2). Luckily, the filesystem limits are a little farther.
Can this be considered for inclusion in 10.3?
Not that simple, IMO. You also need mount tools to be able to read them, so that mount by label in fstab works. The udev system would have to display them in /dev/disk/, too.
I have (finally) succeeded in booting SLES9 from a GPT disk with a 3.4 TB partition. It doesn't have udev and doesn't mount by label, so this is what I had to do: * boot Rescue System and save the system on a NFS export * define the disk as GPT with parted, create partitions * restore the system * try to compile grub2, no success * found Marco Gerards patch for grub 0.97 that adds GPT capabilities http://files.bitleap.com/software/grub/grub-0.96-gpt_partition_support.patch * compiled the patched grub on the restored system, still using Rescue System * /usr/local/sbin/grub-install /dev/sda * grub loads, but it doesn't want to load initrd, gives error 28, Selected item cannot fit into memory * found another patch that SUSE uses http://www.nabble.com/attachment/9708953/0/070_all_grub-0.97-initrd_max_addr... * it has blood all over it, but it boots and runs. It will be all right :-) I didn't mention that I had to use a Driver Update Disk from Dell in order to be able to see the full capacity of the volume. With the driver from SP3, it only showed 2 TB. SLES9 kind of cries for a SP4. I could not use SLES10, although I would've liked that much more. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org
On Thu, 28 Jun 2007, Silviu Marin-Caea wrote:
GPT disk-labels (partition tables) are a new type of disk-labels that don't have the limitations of the ms-dos partition table.
It's not that new; we've been supporting it on Itanium for a couple of years IIRC. On Fri, 29 Jun 2007, Silviu Marin-Caea wrote:
SLES9 kind of cries for a SP4. I could not use SLES10, although I would've liked that much more.
Your cry has been heard. Expect this in Q4 2007, and (hopefully) not too close to Christmas. GPT support for x86/x86-64 is not planned for the SP4 release, but we certainly want to integrate full support into openSUSE as soon as possible. Contributions always welcome. ;-) Gerald -- Dr. Gerald Pfeifer E gp@novell.com SUSE Linux Products GmbH Director Inbound Product Mgmt T +49(911)74053-0 HRB 16746 (AG Nuremberg) openSUSE/SUSE Linux Enterprise F +49(911)74053-483 GF: Markus Rex --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org
participants (3)
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Carlos E. R. -
Gerald Pfeifer -
Silviu Marin-Caea