Install/MBR Partitioning

Install Guide: MBR Partitioning

Install Guide, Chapter 3

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Legacy (BIOS/MBR) Method

   Warning

This method is legacy only, and does not support UEFI installation. For UEFI installs advance to the next page.

First, it's a good idea to make sure that you've found the correct hard disk to partition. Try this command and verify that /dev/sda is the disk that you want to partition:

root # fdisk -l /dev/funtoo

Disk /dev/funtoo: 640.1 GB, 640135028736 bytes, 1250263728 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk label type: gpt

#         Start          End    Size  Type            Name
 1         2048   1250263694  596.2G  Linux filesyste Linux filesystem

Now, it is recommended that you erase any existing MBR or GPT partition tables on the disk, which could confuse the system's BIOS at boot time. We accomplish this using sgdisk:

   Warning

This will make any existing partitions inaccessible! You are strongly cautioned and advised to backup any critical data before proceeding.

root # sgdisk --zap-all /dev/funtoo

Creating new GPT entries.
GPT data structures destroyed! You may now partition the disk using fdisk or
other utilities.

This output is also nothing to worry about, as the command still succeeded:

***************************************************************
Found invalid GPT and valid MBR; converting MBR to GPT format
in memory. 
***************************************************************

partition

Now we will use fdisk or cfdisk to create the MBR partition table and partitions:

root # fdisk /dev/funtoo

Within fdisk, follow these steps:

Empty the partition table:

Command (m for help): o ↵

Create Partition 1 (boot):

Command (m for help): n ↵
Partition type (default p): ↵
Partition number (1-4, default 1): ↵
First sector: ↵
Last sector: +128M ↵
Command (m for help): t ↵
Partition number: 1 ↵
Hex code (type L to list all codes): EF ↵
Changed type of partition to 'EFI (FAT-12/16/32)'.
Command (m for help): a ↵
Partition number (1-3, default 3): 1 ↵
The bootable flag on partition 1 is enabled now.

Create Partition 2 (swap):

Command (m for help): n ↵
Partition type (default p): ↵
Partition number (2-4, default 2): ↵
First sector: ↵
Last sector: +2G ↵
Command (m for help): t ↵ 
Partition number (1,2, default 2):  ↵
Hex code (type L to list all codes): 82 ↵

Create the root partition:

Command (m for help): n ↵
Partition type (default p): ↵
Partition number (3,4, default 3): ↵
First sector: ↵
Last sector: ↵

Verify the partition table:

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/funtoo: 298.1 GiB, 320072933376 bytes, 625142448 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x82abc9a6

Device    Boot        Start       End    Blocks  Id   System
/dev/funtoo1 *         2048    526335    524288  ef   EFI (FAT-12/16/32)
/dev/funtoo2         264192   4458495   2097152  82   Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/funtoo3        4458496 625142447 310341976  83   Linux

Write the partition table to disk:

Command (m for help): w

Your new MBR partition table will now be written to your system disk.

   Note

You're done with partitioning! Now, jump over to Creating filesystems.

Install Guide, Chapter 3

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