Arch Linux

lenni

Member

From: London, UK

Registered: 2007-09-21

Posts: 95

Get rid of the GPT-table and OSX

I have run out of patience with the limitations of the GPT layout of my Macbook's hard disk. I would like to go back to Linux-only and get rid of OSX. My current layout is the following

sda1: GPT layout table (afaik)
sda2: OSX
sda3: Arch / (also grub)
sda4: /home
sda5: swap (but unusable due to said GPT limitations)

Should I just erase sda1 and sda2? I am worried that this will screw up grub and the whole GPT-MBR synchronisation stuff.

What would be the cleanest way to do this without major recovery operations?

Last edited by lenni (2008-01-25 19:22:47)

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Combined repo and AUR search

abstracity

Member

From: Houston, USA

Registered: 2007-08-08

Posts: 83

Re: Get rid of the GPT-table and OSX

Have you taken a look at the wiki?  I spent quite some time detailing the aspects of an Arch-only installation.  I would suggest "tarring" up your environment, reformatting, and "un-tarring" onto a newly mounted partition.  For example, the following command (which should be executed from an external environment such as the Arch Install CD) could be used to backup up your current root partition to a mounted, external device:

tar cfpvz /path/to/external/device/root.sda3.tar.gz /mnt/sda3/

Following that, unmount all file systems in the /mnt/ folder and format your hard disk with your desired partition layout.  Next, mount your new / partition to the /mnt/ folder and run the following command to "un-tar" your backed-up root to the newly formatted file system:

tar xfpvz /path/to/external/device/root.sda3.tar.gz -C /mnt/

The above commands could be repeated to "tar" and "un-tar" your home partition.  Furthermore, save the contents in /mnt/boot/ somewhere else if you want to use a separate partition for /boot/ this time around.  Finally, unmount any partitions in /mnt/, run /arch/setup, mount your /boot/ and / partitions from the installer menu, and skip to the GRUB installation phase.  All the information I have given you can be found through reading available online resources, as I have done for you.  You just have to be deliberate in your searching.

Last edited by abstracity (2008-02-12 11:59:45)

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Without error there can be no brilliancy. ― Emanuel Lasker