Re: [parted-devel] [parted 1.8.8] msdos label and file system corruption issues with > 2TB disk

[H. Peter Anvin]

Michael Reed wrote:
> What are the various protocols in use for booting from GPT partitions
> on BIOS systems?  Trying to standardize on one could be a "good thing".

So far, the only supported protocol is to have the bootable partition(s) 
present inth the MBR.  Data-only partitions can be present in the GPT only.

This works with Windows as well as existing Linux bootloaders, but does 
not support booting from > 2 TB, obviously.

> My thoughts immediately come to this as one possibility.  Use the GPT PMBR
> to define a bootable paritition and reserve the rest of the disk.  I know
> that isn't the spec, but for linux one could use the "gpt" kernel command
> line option to override the test for a valid PMBR.  This non-standard usage
> of the PMBR is likely only an issue on EFI based systems, and those wouldn't
> require the hack....

This is what Windows requires, with the slight exception that I think it 
wants the partition present in *both* the MBR and GPT.  Could be wrong.

        -hpa