unable to install with GPT

[MagicPoulp]

Does someone have an idea what I can do to ensure a GPT installation? It is annoying it allocates an extra partition. Help is much appreciated!

I tried to install debian in export graphical mode. ANd it once again isntalled with MBR, and not GPT.
I could load option step, and I picked manually partition disks with gpt.
I also created manually the partitions.

It shows a message that an efi system was detected but it needs to add a copy of the efi content. ANd it asked if I want to force the efi installation.
It never asked anything about mbr or GPT. The disk is quite large also (2TB).

Below sda is my hard disk, to ignore. I installed on the usb drive sdc.

Model: ATA Micron_1100_MTFD (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 256GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags:

Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 1049kB 274MB 273MB fat32 EFI system partition boot, esp
2 274MB 290MB 16.8MB Microsoft reserved partition msftres
3 290MB 256GB 255GB ntfs Basic data partition msftdata
4 256GB 256GB 523MB ntfs Basic data partition hidden, diag


Model: Samsung Portable SSD T5 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 2000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos
Disk Flags:

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 33.6MB 20.4GB 20.4GB extended
5 33.6MB 403MB 369MB logical fat32 boot, esp
6 436MB 20.4GB 20.0GB logical linux-swap(v1)
2 20.4GB 520GB 500GB primary ext4
3 520GB 2000GB 1480GB primary fat32

[MagicPoulp]

this here says they know the rule for the installer:
https://unix.stackexchange.com/question ... mbr-vs-gpt

and here is the installer's script
https://salsa.debian.org/installer-team ... abel.sh#L3

[MagicPoulp]

I think I remember it said EBR in the manual partitioning step.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_boot_record

I will try again.
https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/ ... all.pdf.en
p 46, 6.3.4.3 Manual Partition

and p 16
3.6.3 Systems with UEFI firmwar

[MagicPoulp]

I succeeded.

First, I cleared the disk with zeros using dd.
Then the installer asked me to created a partition table and I could pick the type in the list.

So it is like I had some old stuff that forced an msdos partition.

[p.H]

It shows a message that an efi system was detected but it needs to add a copy of the efi content

Are you sure ? I do not remember ever seeing this message. Did you take a screenshot ?

ANd it asked if I want to force the efi installation.

This happens when the installer is booted in EFI mode and detects a BIOS/legacy boot loader on the disk.

It never asked anything about mbr or GPT.

In manual partitioning, you can ask to create a new partition table on a disk. In expert install, you will be prompted to select the partition table (disk label) type. If you select GPT, there is no reason that the installer creates a DOS/MBR partition table. In non expert install, if the installer was booted in EFI mode it will automatically select GPT.

The disk is quite large also (2TB).

2 TB is not large enough to force GPT. The limit is 2 TiB (2,2 TB) with 512-byte logical sectors.

I think I remember it said EBR in the manual partitioning step.

I do not remember the Debian installer ever mentioning EBR. I guess you did not take a screenshot ?

[MagicPoulp]

Now all is fixed.

With 0s on the disk, the debian installer asks which partition table type to create.

The debian installer clarifies why it wants to use --force-extra-removable for grub.
It says say certain firmwares are buggy and would need this to boot. No screenshot.But if you dig into the source code you can find the message. And it is quite clear it is for --force-extra-removable.


I thought --removable was better. But in fact, I use both, first --force-extra-removable, then --removable. Hard to understand the source code. The former makes a new folder called debian and I see it in the bios but not on all computers. I did not override BOOX64.efi because it seems like a hack. the bios must have fallback mechanisms.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

I cleared the disk with zeros using dd

Faster method:

Code: Select all

# sgdisk --zap-all /dev/sdX

https://packages.debian.org/buster/gdisk