[solved] EFI file system on netbook...?

Meskarune · 2010-03-29 06:49:56

I just got an eee pc 1005HA http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Asus_Eee_PC_1005HA and I want to install arch on it. The computer currently has windows 7 starter on it. I might dual boot, but not sure yet. (I hardly use windows on my desktop...excpet for gaming once in a blue moon)

The netbook has a 250 GB drive. There's a 16 MB partition on the drive that is labeled EFI file system: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensible … _Interface
Looks like this is a replacement for the bios? Do I need to handle the install any differently if my computer uses EFI? Can I delete that partition?

Last edited by Meskarune (2010-04-01 00:49:24)

ataraxia · 2010-03-29 14:12:55

If it's like the one on a Mac, it's actually a FAT32 filesystem, and it's used as a "scratch area" for installing firmware upgrades and other such things that are run directly from the firmware. Try mounting it as vfat as have a look inside.

EFI itself (as opposed to this partition) is a replacement for the traditional BIOS, yes. The implementation tends to resemble OpenBoot/OpenFirmware, if you're familiar with that. Most EFI implementations (other than Apple's) can only load code from FAT32 filesystems, so it's also sometimes used as a the place to install the bootloader - check out "rEFIt" to see an example.

Last I knew, keeping the system as EFI (i.e., using a GPT-style partition layout) is bad news in Linux, as X won't work. (The video drivers depend on old-school BIOS calls to probe the hardware, and if you boot with a "new" EFI scheme, those are disabled as the firmware assumes you won't be needing them.

Honestly, I suggest you just blow everything away, and even destroy the partition table itself, and just replace it with a traditional DOS-style table. Then you can just ignore the presence of EFI. This assumes that it really supports a good "legacy BIOS emulation mode", which I can't speak for as I don't have experience with the eee pc line.

Sorry if this post is incoherent. You'd never know English actually is my native language from reading it, I think!

Meskarune · 2010-03-29 22:05:55

On the asus website they have bios for my netbook....should I just install that? If I do install a bios on my netbook from within windows, how do I have it use that instead of EFI? I don't want to make this thing unbootable.

Also, what would be the best way for me to set up the partitions? I don't have a cd drive.... I was previously using a program wilthin windows to look at the drives, and shrink down the windows partition.

Any help about this would be greaty appreciated. Using windows 7 on the hardware of a netbook is driving me a little nuts...

I'll contact the asus guys and see what they have to say also.

ataraxia · 2010-03-30 00:02:11

The "BIOS" download is probably a firmware flash upgrade like is normal for other machines.

If it's like the Macs, you don't have to do anything except wipe the disk out, repartition it as a normal MBR-style disk, and install as normal. A nuisance on the Macs of doing this is that you have to wait about 20 seconds for GRUB to appear when you reboot.

I'd use the USB stick version of the Arch installer to do all the dirty work. In fact, if you can get the machine to boot such a stick without messing around, that will tell you that it's safe to just totally ignore anything EFI-related.

I know these machines are popular with people here. There may even be a thread devoted to it. In fact, the wiki article you linked makes it look like you can, in fact, totally ignore the EFI aspects of it. Just make sure you wipe the disk off thoroughly to get rid of the last traces of EFI/GPT-related stuff.

Allan · 2010-03-30 01:06:34

ataraxia wrote:

If it's like the Macs, you don't have to do anything except wipe the disk out, repartition it as a normal MBR-style disk, and install as normal. A nuisance on the Macs of doing this is that you have to wait about 20 seconds for GRUB to appear when you reboot.

Apparently not really... http://mac.linux.be/content/single-boot … hout-delay .

Meskarune · 2010-03-30 04:32:22

Ok, after some research, it appears that my computer DOES have a bios. The EFI partition the Eee PC is just there to enable the boot booster option in bios. This saves about 5s during boot. I was able to go into the system bios by pressing F2 during bootup.

So if I leave the EFI part there, arch should boot fine with boot booster enabled, its also possible to remake the EFI partion after erasing it.

From Ubuntu Site:

Boot booster is a function implemented in the BIOS of all eeepcs that will make booting faster by caching data from the BIOS to a partition, thus not needing to go through the BIOS process 
at the next boot. This saves you a few seconds during the boot process, at least from pressing the power button to going to the boot loader.

Since this requires tampering with partitions, you are recommended to take a backup of you data. This guide is only aimed at advanced users!

Boot into a live linux enviorment.

You'll need to resize your current partitions in order to make room for a new 8Mb partition. Its not confirmed if this matters but the partition should be on the first disk (sda).

* create a primary partition, at least 8 Mb in size

* set the type of the new partition into EFI (FAT-12/16/32)(hex code 0xEF)

* and make a normal boot.

The next reboot should skip the BIOS menu and take you directly to the boot loader.

There are many tools out there that can manipulate partitions, so use your favorite tool to do this. Assuming you've made enough room for a new partition, which is easily done in 
gparted, here is a step-by-step guide on how to create an EFI partition with the "fdisk" command:

* boot into the live linux enviorment, open the terminal and type

fdisk /dev/sda

(following commands are to be typed without quotes)

* make a new partition by typing "n"

* press "p" for primary partition

* then press "4" (this will create a primary partition as sda4)

* when you're offered to choose a size, make a choice that will create a 8 Mb partition which is 1 cylinder. My partition is located between 489 and 490.

* Next we need to set the type. press "t", then "4", then "ef"

* Press p and you should see something similiar to this:

Device      Boot    Start    End       Blocks     Id     System
/dev/sda4           489      490       16065      ef     EFI (FAT-12/16/32)

Your output might differ slightly, the most important thing is that the Id/system colum and that the blocks size is no less than 16065 blocks (8 Mb).

* Once that's done, press "w" to write your new partition table.

* Reboot. You might need to reboot twice in order for the cache to be created during the first boot.

Remember to disable bootbooster if you're going to change the components of the eeepc. After a normal boot with the new components, it can be safetly re-enabled.

I read up on rEFIt and found another similar program called Elilo: http://sourceforge.net/projects/elilo/

It would be cool if someone more knowledgeable than I updated the arch wiki with information on EFI partitions and linux. I'm sure they will be showing up more often in the future.

I'm going to install arch, and see what happens....

Meskarune · 2010-03-30 04:33:16

Also, thanks for your help!

Meskarune · 2010-03-30 07:53:11

USB drive booted, but the arch live system wouldn't start.... boot device not detected. The usb booted fine on my desktop. Any suggestions? Windows is driving me nuts.

Meskarune · 2010-04-01 00:48:46

It worked after I turned off boot boost in the bios. Arch is installed!

Arch Linux

#1 2010-03-29 06:49:56

[solved] EFI file system on netbook...?

#2 2010-03-29 14:12:55

Re: [solved] EFI file system on netbook...?

#3 2010-03-29 22:05:55

Re: [solved] EFI file system on netbook...?

#4 2010-03-30 00:02:11

Re: [solved] EFI file system on netbook...?

#5 2010-03-30 01:06:34

Re: [solved] EFI file system on netbook...?

#6 2010-03-30 04:32:22

Re: [solved] EFI file system on netbook...?

#7 2010-03-30 04:33:16

Re: [solved] EFI file system on netbook...?

#8 2010-03-30 07:53:11

Re: [solved] EFI file system on netbook...?

#9 2010-04-01 00:48:46

Re: [solved] EFI file system on netbook...?

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