On Wed, Jul 18, 2012 at 7:40 PM, mike cloaked <mike.cloaked@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > I am planning a test install using the new arch-install-scripts via > the latest netinstall images from releng (from today's date). > > I know that for a system where I blow away all previous disc > partitions and partition from scratch I can create a 2MiB partition > (using MBR and NOT GPT partitioning) before the first formatted > partition on the HD and install grub2 during the base install. > However can someone please tell me explicitly if, for a system with > only BIOS (no UEFI at all), and no GPT partitioning but just plain old > MBR partitioning - is the recommended 2MiB post-MBR gap still a > "requirement" for that specific situation for grub2 to work? I can't > find that as an explicit statement in any of the documentation that I > have read for installs/grub2/partitioning! i.e. does grub2 still need > to embed the core.img file in the post-MBR gap as the preferred and > dev recommended approach in this case? > > The reason I would like to have that explicit answer is that if I want > to install arch on a machine which has a pre-existing NTFS partition, > and possibly host-protected partition as well for Windows recovery, at > the start of the drive, then if the 2MiB post-MBR gap is a requirement > (rather than a nicety) for grub2 with BIOS and MBR partitioning (but > no GPT partitioning or UEFI) then unless the drive is re-partitioned > and the NTFS partition reduced in size and moved out by 2MiB then > there could be problems? However doing that partition jinking about > might itself lead to a few issues! > > I am going to do an install with new partitioning on an old laptop to > check that I can successfully use the new install system (without AIF) > and hopefully that will work, but I also have other machines with > existing and important (to me) Windows partitions that I would really > like to NOT corrupt when installing arch to the partitions on their > drives. > > The other reason I am asking this question is that I also have > existing dual boot laptops with Windows XP and arch with BIOS and MBR > partitioning - and at some point it would presumably be sensible to > move from the existing grub to grub2 - and on these systems where I > have already checked that there is only a 64 sector post-MBR gap - > will this lead to problems if I change from grub to grub2 if I don't > change the partitions to have a 2MiB post-MBR gap? > > Thanks for any help on this - I have been doing reading and trying to > prepare without looking an idiot and being a good arch admin, but > there is quite a lot to read and I still can't find the answer to the > explicit question above! > > -- > mike c I just realised that the current build of the netinstall isos still have grub legacy and not grub2 - so I will wait for my first test install - but my questions above remain keenly awaiting some replies anyway! Thanks -- mike c
