From: Doug@hyperspace.vogon.gov   
      
   Malcolm wrote:   
   > On Tue, 14 Jul 2020 14:02:54 +0200   
   > "Carlos E.R."  wrote:   
   >   
   >> On 14/07/2020 09.28, Andrew wrote:   
   >>> Carlos E.R. wrote:   
   >>>> On 13/07/2020 14.27, Andrew wrote:   
   >>>>> Given a Linux-only system running on two discs (SSD and   
   >>>>> "normal"), I have been trying to work out how to change things to   
   >>>>> use the UEFI boot mechanism.   
   >>>>> The SSD ( /dev/sda ) has room to spare, although not at the start   
   >>>>> of the drive.  The system-main partition is also on that drive.   
   >>>>> The only instructions I have seen are for Debian-based systems.   
   >>>>> I'm aware that I could do an initial install - re-partitioning   
   >>>>> the SSD - and that would get me there, is that the only way?   
   >>>>> The Motherboard is only a couple of years old - as you can guess   
   >>>>> by the use of SSD - so there are no technical constraints.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> As you are posting on the SUSE group, I take it for a given that   
   >>>> you are using openSUSE Leap or Tumbleweed. Well, it is easy, fire   
   >>>> up YaST, boot module, change boot method to UEFI. It should   
   >>>> propose to create an EFI partition (doesn't need to be at the   
   >>>> start), but I don't know if this is contemplated. So, you have to   
   >>>> try.   
   >>>>   
   >>>>   
   >>>>   
   >>> Thanks, but . . .   
   >>> I tried it the first time.  It told me it needed to install a new   
   >>> package - which it did - but then told me I had no valid EFI   
   >>> partition. YaST Partitioner did not want to let me create a new   
   >>> partition (of any kind) in the unassigned area of the SSD.   
   >>> Booting a current Gparted, it allowed me to create such a partition.   
   >>> Booting back into openSUSE 15.1, YaST Partitioner allowed me to set   
   >>> the partition type to EF and format the beast.   
   >>> Trying YaST Boot, once again it told me I had no valid EFI   
   >>> partition. Reboot (some changes to the partition table used to   
   >>> require a reboot) and trying YaST Boot, once again it told me I had   
   >>> no valid EFI partition. My new EFI partition is correctly   
   >>> formatted, but empty.   
   >>   
   >>   
   >> Well, at this point I'm out of ideas, and I would recommend asking at   
   >> the official openSUSE support channels, ie, the mailing list or the   
   >> web forum.   
   >>   
   > Hi   
   > I suspect the disk is still 'dos' rather than 'gpt' better to backup   
   > and look at bios_grub or start afresh with the disk as gpt (far better   
   > idea IMHO).   
   >   
      
   I have not done anything to that SSD using fdisk but Yast/Partitioner   
   does describe the Partition Table as being MS-DOS.   
   On the other hand: from what I have read about EFI, that should not   
   matter.  On a similar setup but with UEFI boot, the Partition Table is   
   also described as being MS-DOS.  The content of *that* EFI partition   
   were set up by an original openSUSE install and that is looking like the   
   best option.   
   No urgency though, it works using the traditional BIOS boot now.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)