Arch Linux

amusabji

Member

Registered: 2015-11-30

Posts: 3

Possible to change partition scheme from MBR to GPT? [SOLVED]

I still haven't partitioned my hard drive yet, but the current partitioning scheme is MBR and I'm using BIOS, I've read that partitioning to GPT may have some hiccups.

At the moment, I would simply like to install Arch onto my machine and have it up and running without needing the USB stick.

My question is: can I change the partitioning scheme from MBR to GPT **AFTER** I completely format the hard drive with MBR in order to install? Or is it that once I've partitioned, I'm stuck with that particular scheme?

Also, I'm running an old 32bit Pentium 4 Sony Vaio, any links or tips to upgrading the partitioning scheme and bootloader would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Last edited by amusabji (2015-12-06 01:52:48)

Awebb

Member

Registered: 2010-05-06

Posts: 6,688

Re: Possible to change partition scheme from MBR to GPT? [SOLVED]

A google search for "convert from mbr to gpt linux" gives you a lot of results, the first two alone to the Arch bbs and the Arch wiki.

ChrisG

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2015-11-27

Posts: 29

Website

Re: Possible to change partition scheme from MBR to GPT? [SOLVED]

You can blow away all that information be zeroing out your hdd and then create your GPT partitions using gdisk.

1. Use dd to zero out your drive.
2. Reboot to the arch iso.
3. Run gdisk. Note: You will need to create a bios boot partition for grub to load properly. Make the bios boot partition +1M (1 megabyte). Make the type ef02 (that is e f 'zero' 2). Partition the rest of the drive the way you want.
4. Create your file system of choice.

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WFV

Member

From: ☭USSA⛧⭒⭒⭒⭒

Registered: 2013-04-23

Posts: 288

Re: Possible to change partition scheme from MBR to GPT? [SOLVED]

If your drive is SSD there's no advantage to GPT, use MBR, if not then do as others mentioned.
With one hdd, I use 3 partitions with GPT table, sdx1 = BIOSGRUB (1 or 2MB), sdx2 = / (20-40GB) for root, sdx3 = /home (remaining majority of space), and optional leave 1 - 10% unallocated at end of hdd for if ever need future space to install other OS or testing etc....
If your bios supports AHCI, set it before partitioning.

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Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 8,778

Website

Re: Possible to change partition scheme from MBR to GPT? [SOLVED]

I'm using BIOS

While GPT support on BIOS systems is theoretically possible it sometimes isn't practical and other times there are complete incompatibilities.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GU … OS_systems

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Trilby

Inspector Parrot

Registered: 2011-11-29

Posts: 30,333

Website

Re: Possible to change partition scheme from MBR to GPT? [SOLVED]

You can blow away all that information be zeroing out your hdd...

There is absolutely no point to this.  Unless you intend to encrypt your system and want to securely remove any remnant of pre-existing data then there is absolutely no point in zeroing out the device.

My question to the OP is *why* would you do this?  Do you want to use MBR or GPT?  Pick one and use it.  If you want to use GPT don't format as MBR, install, and *then* try to change to GPT, just start with GPT (but see the caution above).

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"UNIX is simple and coherent" - Dennis Ritchie; "GNU's Not Unix" - Richard Stallman

amusabji

Member

Registered: 2015-11-30

Posts: 3

Re: Possible to change partition scheme from MBR to GPT? [SOLVED]

Thank you all for your replies,

I guess my question arises from the potential possibility of a client needing such a thing done. I was thinking, in the case that a client has a legacy environment running with MBR and is wanting to upgrade to GPT, how could this be achieved with no data loss. Is this even possible? Curious if anyone has taken this route before.

Cheers.

Awebb

Member

Registered: 2010-05-06

Posts: 6,688

Re: Possible to change partition scheme from MBR to GPT? [SOLVED]

The first reply in this thread contains the direction to the information and you decided to ignore it.

WorMzy

Administrator

From: Scotland

Registered: 2010-06-16

Posts: 12,607

Website

Re: Possible to change partition scheme from MBR to GPT? [SOLVED]

The first reply in this thread contains the direction to the information and you decided to ignore it.

This. Amusabji, please don't be a help vampire.

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