Re: [gentoo-user] Is a USB-key-to-hard-drive-tap-dance-boot possible?

["Thomas Mueller" <mueller6724@twc.com>]

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> I think fdisk couldn't handle GPT at first.  I guess that's why gdisk
> came along.  Then I think the fdisk folks added support for GPT and
> since then it handles both.  That's my understanding of it.  If
> possible, you may want to check the time stamps on the info you have
> found.  I suspect the ones saying fdisk can't handle GPT are older posts
> or people who don't know it can now.  From the man page:


> fdisk is a dialog-driven program for creation and manipulation of
> partition tables.  It understands GPT, MBR, Sun, SGI and BSD partition
> tables.

> For gdisk:

> GPT fdisk (aka gdisk) is a text-mode menu-driven program for creation
> and manipulation of partition tables. It will automatically convert an
> old-style Master Boot Record (MBR) partition table or BSD disklabel
> stored without an MBR  carrier  partition  to  the  newer  Globally
> Unique Identifier (GUID) Partition Table (GPT) format, or will load a
> GUID partition table.


> Odds are, you can likely use either tool but if you are using GPT, you
> may as well use the tool made for that purpose.  I think a lot of it is
> very similar as far as options that do the same things in each program. 

> Also, there is also cfdisk and cgdisk too.  The interface is different. 
> You may want to try the proper one and see which you like.  I use c*disk
> tools myself.  You may prefer the others.  Same result I guess. 

> Hope that helps.

> Dale

I remember from when nobody ever heard of GPT, fdisk was used to partition a hard drive, long before the days of GPT or USB.

Then Rod Smith developed a gdisk to partition a drive using GPT; could even be used on a USB hard drive or USB stick.

Linux fdisk was much easier to use than FreeBSD or NetBSD versions of fdisk.

I don't know how newer versions of Linux fdisk would do with traditional BSD disklabels, which are not compatible between the various BSDs.

But now FreeBSD and NetBSD can run on GPT with no traditional BSD disklabel.

I am not familiar with Sun or SGI partition tables.

Tom