From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: bruce.dubbs@gmail.com Subject: Re: fdisk request for functionality (or info) To: Karel Zak Cc: Util-Linux References: <59D3C162.4050005@gmail.com> <20171004082728.if274peupxjljbxd@ws.net.home> From: Bruce Dubbs Message-ID: <59D4F322.7040805@gmail.com> Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2017 09:41:38 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: <20171004082728.if274peupxjljbxd@ws.net.home> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed List-ID: Karel Zak wrote: > On Tue, Oct 03, 2017 at 11:57:06AM -0500, Bruce Dubbs wrote: >> I have been having a problem with fdisk on old computers. >> >> What I am doing is installing Debian, but dropping to the command line and >> creating a GPT manually because Debian seems to want to always create a >> msdos partition table. >> >> After creating the GPT and partitioning, the install proceeds normally, but >> upon reboot the old bios tells me "No bootable disk". >> >> I can fix this by going into rescue mode and setting the pmbr_boot flag >> using parted. >> >> My question is whether this can be done in fdisk. If not, can it be added? >> >> I did try going into expert mode and selecting "toggle the legacy BIOS >> bootable flag", but does not seem to work. I did not see any change to the >> boot sector when using 'd: print the raw data of the first sector from the >> device'. > > The tricky thing is that fdisks by default see GPT partition, so you > have to force the tools to ignore GPT and use PMBR. There is more > ways: > 2) start fdisk as usually > - go to expert mode ('r') There is not an 'r' mode, only 'x' when the current table is gpt. > - see help ('m') > - switch to nested label ('M') > - go to main menu ('r') > - toggle boot flag ('a') > - write ('w') I wasn't sure if the 'pmbr_boot' flag was just the standard mbr boot flag for partition 1 or not. Would it be reasonable to set that flag by default when 'g create a new empty GPT partition table' is selected? -- Bruce