From: Doug@hyperspace.vogon.gov
William Unruh wrote:
> On 2020-07-15, Andrew wrote:
>> Malcolm wrote:
>>> On Tue, 14 Jul 2020 20:14:08 +0200
>>> Andrew wrote:
>>>
>>>> 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.
>>> Hi
>>> Then I would stick to what's working....
>>>
>>> What is the system, is it recent or older hardware?
>>>
>>
>> The system is just over two years old and the motherboard - Asus Prime
>> A320M-K - is still being sold now, I even did a BIOS update a couple of
>> months back. This is about as current as it gets.
>> The SSD (and the rotating disc) are the same age as the Mobo and I'm
>> pretty sure I have not been updating partitions with fdisk so I have no
>> idea why the system should think the discs have MS-DOS partition tables.
>> Actually, I'm absolutely sure I have not been updating SSD
>> partition-tables with fdisk. I also never had plans to install Windows
>> on this system so will not have felt the need to set any compatibility
>> flags.
>
> a) AFAIK linux ignores all flags anyway.
> b) AFAIK Dos partition table means the usual "4 primary partitions, and
> one can be used for secondary partitions" type partition table. IT is
> the old standard-- the newer one is gpt partition table. It just means
> that when you formatted the disks you used the old style rather than the
> new style partition table, however you partitioned it originally (or
> perhaps it came with that).
>
> No great harm unless you really want to have many partitions.
>
b) makes sense, that is exactly what I did.
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
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