[solved] Need to remove EFI_boot created during auto-format

San2ban · 2012-08-17 15:39:59

[root@KRISHNA san2ban]# gdisk -l /dev/sda
GPT fdisk (gdisk) version 0.8.5

Partition table scan:
  MBR: protective
  BSD: not present
  APM: not present
  GPT: present

Found valid GPT with protective MBR; using GPT.
Disk /dev/sda: 312315562 sectors, 148.9 GiB
Logical sector size: 512 bytes
Disk identifier (GUID): CECFDE10-048D-4CC1-9EF9-63A420410BE0
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
First usable sector is 34, last usable sector is 312315528
Partitions will be aligned on 2048-sector boundaries
Total free space is 8157 sectors (4.0 MiB)

Number  Start (sector)    End (sector)  Size       Code  Name
   1            2048            6143   2.0 MiB     EF02  BIOS_GRUB2
   2            6144         1048576   509.0 MiB   EF00  EFI System
   3         1054720         2103295   512.0 MiB   8300  ARCHLINUX_BOOT
   4         2103296         6297599   2.0 GiB     8200  ARCHLINUX_SWAP
   5         6297600        21657599   7.3 GiB     8300  ARCHLINUX_ROOT
   6        21657600       312315528   138.6 GiB   8300  ARCHLINUX_HOME

Disabled EFI partition in /etc/fstab

#
# /etc/fstab: static file system information
#
# <file system> <dir>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
tmpfs           /tmp    tmpfs   nodev,nosuid    0       0
# DEVICE DETAILS: /dev/sda2 UUID=2A95-6D2D LABEL=ESP
# DEVICE DETAILS: /dev/sda3 UUID=818dfe1e-88a3-4e74-92e6-46f25275db05 LABEL=BOOT_ARCH
# DEVICE DETAILS: /dev/sda4 UUID=a410bea2-3792-40e9-9733-3cba0ee8c6f5 LABEL=SWAP_ARCH
# DEVICE DETAILS: /dev/sda5 UUID=ee2200ce-ea6a-4e67-b18c-2c30a8b6cb5f LABEL=ROOT_ARCH
# DEVICE DETAILS: /dev/sda6 UUID=8bc96abe-842d-4a19-811e-29b7df4d8c8b LABEL=HOME_ARCH
#UUID=2A95-6D2D /boot/efi vfat defaults 0 1
UUID=818dfe1e-88a3-4e74-92e6-46f25275db05 /boot ext2 defaults 0 1
UUID=8bc96abe-842d-4a19-811e-29b7df4d8c8b /home ext4 defaults 0 1
UUID=a410bea2-3792-40e9-9733-3cba0ee8c6f5 swap swap defaults 0 0
UUID=ee2200ce-ea6a-4e67-b18c-2c30a8b6cb5f / ext4 defaults 0 1

Is it safe to remove this partition, and merge this 2MB with other partitions?

Last edited by San2ban (2012-08-18 03:21:26)

George · 2012-08-17 16:04:49

If you mean the 509MiB EFI_SYSTEM partition then the answer is yes so long as you boot your system using Bios. I believe, though I am not certain, that if you boot using EFI you can remove the 2MiB BIOS_GRUB2 partition.

San2ban · 2012-08-17 16:42:06

No, I boot using BIOS, no EFI. Hence removing it. Thanks. Just wanted to be reassured. ( If I bork this install, you are aware the issues with a new install)

George · 2012-08-17 17:42:36

No problem, if your question is answered could you mark this thread as [Solved] as per https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=130309 .

San2ban · 2012-08-18 02:15:02

After deleting this partition, GRUB says 'unknown file system', but everything appears OK.

# /etc/fstab: static file system information
#
# <file system> <dir>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
tmpfs           /tmp    tmpfs   nodev,nosuid    0       0
# DEVICE DETAILS: /dev/sda2 UUID=2A95-6D2D LABEL=ESP
# DEVICE DETAILS: /dev/sda3 UUID=818dfe1e-88a3-4e74-92e6-46f25275db05 LABEL=BOO$
# DEVICE DETAILS: /dev/sda4 UUID=a410bea2-3792-40e9-9733-3cba0ee8c6f5 LABEL=SWA$
# DEVICE DETAILS: /dev/sda5 UUID=ee2200ce-ea6a-4e67-b18c-2c30a8b6cb5f LABEL=ROO$
# DEVICE DETAILS: /dev/sda6 UUID=8bc96abe-842d-4a19-811e-29b7df4d8c8b LABEL=HOM$
#UUID=2A95-6D2D /boot/efi vfat defaults 0 1
UUID=818dfe1e-88a3-4e74-92e6-46f25275db05 /boot ext2 defaults 0 1
UUID=8bc96abe-842d-4a19-811e-29b7df4d8c8b /home ext4 defaults 0 1
UUID=a410bea2-3792-40e9-9733-3cba0ee8c6f5 swap swap defaults 0 0
UUID=ee2200ce-ea6a-4e67-b18c-2c30a8b6cb5f / ext4 defaults 0 1

I am posting using SYSRESCUE CD, hence my filesystem extensions are shown as 0700 for root, home

(chroot) [root@unknown001bb9b49eba /]# gdisk -l /dev/sda
GPT fdisk (gdisk) version 0.8.5

Partition table scan:
  MBR: protective
  BSD: not present
  APM: not present
  GPT: present

Found valid GPT with protective MBR; using GPT.
Disk /dev/sda: 312315562 sectors, 148.9 GiB
Logical sector size: 512 bytes
Disk identifier (GUID): CECFDE10-048D-4CC1-9EF9-63A420410BE0
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
First usable sector is 34, last usable sector is 312315528
Partitions will be aligned on 2048-sector boundaries
Total free space is 1050590 sectors (513.0 MiB)

Number  Start (sector)    End (sector)  Size       Code  Name
   1            2048            6143   2.0 MiB     EF02  BIOS_GRUB2
   2         1054720         2103295   512.0 MiB   0700  ARCHLINUX_BOOT
   3         2103296         6297599   2.0 GiB     8200  ARCHLINUX_SWAP
   4         6297600        21657599   7.3 GiB     0700  ARCHLINUX_ROOT
   5        21657600       312315528   138.6 GiB   0700  ARCHLINUX_HOME

Why would removing a totally un-needed partition EFI_BOOT result in GRUB declaring 'unknown file system'?
Inputs appreciated

cfr · 2012-08-18 02:18:03

Don't remove the 2MB partition, though. (You talked about merging "this 2MB"...) You need that 2MB partition to boot BIOS.

You may need to mark one of your other partitions bootable although I'm not sure this is necessary.

San2ban · 2012-08-18 02:25:57

Hello cfr

I have removed the 512MB EFI_BIOS (see below) partition as mentioned in earlier post

2            6144         1048576   509.0 MiB   EF00  EFI System

My present filesystem using cgdisk

                                                 cgdisk 0.8.5

                                             Disk Drive: /dev/sda
                                          Size: 312315562, 148.9 GiB

Part. #     Size        Partition Type            Partition Name
----------------------------------------------------------------
            1007.0 KiB  free space
   1        2.0 MiB     BIOS boot partition       BIOS_GRUB2
            512.0 MiB   free space
   2        512.0 MiB   Microsoft basic data      ARCHLINUX_BOOT
   3        2.0 GiB     Linux swap                ARCHLINUX_SWAP
   4        7.3 GiB     Microsoft basic data      ARCHLINUX_ROOT
   5        138.6 GiB   Microsoft basic data      ARCHLINUX_HOME

Again, 2NB bios boot partition exists. What might be the issue? Posting from SYSRESCUE CD

cfr · 2012-08-18 02:41:54

San2ban wrote:

Again, 2NB bios boot partition exists. What might be the issue? Posting from SYSRESCUE CD

Nothing. Is there an issue?

It is just that you said earlier,

Is it safe to remove this partition, and merge this 2MB with other partitions?

And I just meant that merging that "2MB with other partitions" would be bad.

Are you sure that grub is installed correctly to disk? Are you positive that you were not booting in EFI mode? (Since it seems a bit weird that it worked with that partition?)

Last edited by cfr (2012-08-18 02:45:16)

San2ban · 2012-08-18 02:44:38

But why is GRUB saying 'unknown file system?
The system just does not boot. GRUB menu does not appear. Just falls into grubrescue> prompt

cfr · 2012-08-18 02:47:29

Maybe double check the UUIDs. Not that they should change or anything - just to be sure.

Have you tried just reinstalling grub to disk?

San2ban · 2012-08-18 03:21:00

SYSRESCUE CD gdisk had changed my partition type from 8300 to 0700. Why/ God knows.
Changed back. Everything is fine now.
Thanks to cfr, george

GPT fdisk (gdisk) version 0.8.5

Partition table scan:
  MBR: protective
  BSD: not present
  APM: not present
  GPT: present

Found valid GPT with protective MBR; using GPT.
Disk /dev//sda: 312315562 sectors, 148.9 GiB
Logical sector size: 512 bytes
Disk identifier (GUID): CECFDE10-048D-4CC1-9EF9-63A420410BE0
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
First usable sector is 34, last usable sector is 312315528
Partitions will be aligned on 2048-sector boundaries
Total free space is 1050590 sectors (513.0 MiB)

Number  Start (sector)    End (sector)  Size       Code  Name
   1            2048            6143   2.0 MiB     EF02  BIOS_GRUB2
   2         1054720         2103295   512.0 MiB   8300  ARCHLINUX_BOOT
   3         2103296         6297599   2.0 GiB     8200  ARCHLINUX_SWAP
   4         6297600        21657599   7.3 GiB     8300  ARCHLINUX_ROOT
   5        21657600       312315528   138.6 GiB   8300  ARCHLINUX_HOME

Still, my hands are itching to merge that 512MB which was freed, but that will be an adventure for another day

Arch Linux

#1 2012-08-17 15:39:59

[solved] Need to remove EFI_boot created during auto-format

#2 2012-08-17 16:04:49

Re: [solved] Need to remove EFI_boot created during auto-format

#3 2012-08-17 16:42:06

Re: [solved] Need to remove EFI_boot created during auto-format

#4 2012-08-17 17:42:36

Re: [solved] Need to remove EFI_boot created during auto-format

#5 2012-08-18 02:15:02

Re: [solved] Need to remove EFI_boot created during auto-format

#6 2012-08-18 02:18:03

Re: [solved] Need to remove EFI_boot created during auto-format

#7 2012-08-18 02:25:57

Re: [solved] Need to remove EFI_boot created during auto-format

#8 2012-08-18 02:41:54

Re: [solved] Need to remove EFI_boot created during auto-format

#9 2012-08-18 02:44:38

Re: [solved] Need to remove EFI_boot created during auto-format

#10 2012-08-18 02:47:29

Re: [solved] Need to remove EFI_boot created during auto-format

#11 2012-08-18 03:21:00

Re: [solved] Need to remove EFI_boot created during auto-format

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