On Thu, Jun 21, 2018 at 3:59 PM, Kyle Marek <psppsn96@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > If it helps, I've only ever used GRUB on GPT when installing to BIOS > systems. I haven't encountered *any* issues so far. It was always model specific. Maybe 1/2 dozen models were affected. https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=755226 https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=754850 https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=741120 In one case, the firmware won't boot if it doesn't see the active bit set on a partition in the MBR, and yet the UEFI spec says no partition should have an active bit set in a PMBR. And the workaround caused worse problems (blast from the past): https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=754850#c8 https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=754850#c9 Anyway, there must be some other bug that ultimately caused GPT to be abandoned, I'm not finding it at the moment though. > There was a lot to digest with the above and the GPT-default-splatting > part. Just for clarification, are you "completely" opposed to installing > GPT on BIOS systems by default *until* there is reason to believe that > the issues described were now-fixed GRUB bugs? I'm not opposed to someone looking into it. But I'm opposed to just assuming it's all going to work out OK. And it's not up to me anyway. It might qualify as a system wide change, deadline for which is July 3. The full change is GPT on BIOS by default *and* including ESP and BIOSBoot partitions by default needs a conversation with anaconda/blivet folks if they would accept patches to make that happen in the Fedora 29 timeframe. They need to be asked first, there's no point in pushing a feature proposal by a July 3 deadline if the anaconda folks won't merge the change. And you'd need to own the feature or find someone to own it, and go through the process. Basically realize what you might very well be counting on, is that buggy BIOS computers are now too old and this has since been fixed. But there's no evidence for this one way or another, as far as I know. For example, Windows 10's installer today in 2018, will only use MBR on a drive when the computer boots in BIOS mode. So there's maybe not much external testing for this. I'm not sure what other distros do by default. That might be a useful data point. It may be easier to go for just GPT on BIOS by default, for Fedora 29. If that doesn't blow up, then go for the partition changes in Fedora 30. > Beyond the benefit of being able to boot EFI and GPT by default, there > is also the benefit of not storing GRUB in the gap before the first MBR > partition (I think this is *especially* eyebrow raising on the MBR side > of things), and the benefits of having GPT in general such as a lack of > a partition limit, backup partition table, and support for drives larger > than 2 TiB (though it needs to be noted that the partitions that need to > be accessed with BIOS calls need to exist within the first 2 TiB, or 8 > GiB for compatibility with really stupid/old BIOSes). For what it's worth, if the BIOS system has a drive bigger than 2TB, then GPT is used by default. This has been true since at least Fedora 17. > > Once the GPT-splatting issue is better understood, I really think that > if GPT-by-default can be considered at all, it should be. > Are you gonna own the feature? :-) Maybe Colin Walters finds it compelling enough to be co-owner? -- Chris Murphy _______________________________________________ devel mailing list -- devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe send an email to devel-leave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Fedora Code of Conduct: https://getfedora.org/code-of-conduct.html List Guidelines: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mailing_list_guidelines List Archives: https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/message/U4TED5PGT4TWAHEP3UJHRU2CC2BXF6CO/
