Re: fdisk behavior on a gpt partitioned disks

["Mike M. Volokhov" <mishka%NetBSD.org@localhost>]

On Fri, 29 May 2009 16:28:14 +0300 Mike M. Volokhov wrote:
> On Fri, 29 May 2009 06:05:55 -0700 (PDT) Paul Goyette wrote:
> > On Fri, 29 May 2009, Mike M. Volokhov wrote:
> > 
> > > The patch implements the following logic:
> > >
> > > - always warn if disk have GPT
> > >
> > > - in interactive mode: explicitly warn that any change to MBR will
> > >  result in GPT removal, ask for confirmation, and remove GPT
> > >
> > > - in non-interactive mode: remove GPT and explicitly note this fact
> > 
> > Wouldn't it be more reasonable to have a new command-line option to 
> > remove the GPT? In non-interactive mode without the new option, if the 
> 
> Probably no. To be fair, operator should use "gpt destroy" instead.
> 
> > GPT exists the command should fail with a non-zero exit status (and an 
> > appropriate error message).
> 
> You're right. I'm going to implement it via "double force" option (-ff).

Hrm, why looking to the fdisk(8) documentation I found the following:

        -f      Run fdisk in a non-interactive mode... Any [...]
                partitions which overlap the requested part of the disk
                will be silently deleted.

So it seems that fdisk already have behavior similar to the new one
(with GPT), therefore single -f is quite enough here. I.e. I'm done
with it (except documentation, of course).

As I said before, any additional options would be extra so as "gpt
destroy" is intended to do the main work - use it, and fdisk should
provide just a reliable way to perform MBR style partitioning. Also,
please note that gpt(8) behaves similarly - it replaces (i.e. destroys
in fact) MBR partition table with GPT protective one.

--
M.