so I want to install c6.2 x86_64 onto a 2.7TB /dev/sda ... its a virgin machine with no software, using pxe boot. disk druid or whatever seems to only want to let me have like 2tb of default stuff, I'm guessing because its not using GPT? do I need to preboot into a shell or something and use parted before I can install ? -- john r pierce N 37, W 122 santa cruz ca mid-left coast
On 04/18/2012 10:18 AM, John R Pierce wrote:> do I need to preboot into a shell or something and use parted before I > can install ?I use a bootable CD with gparted to create the GPT partition table and the partitions. After this, I can boot CentOS and install on the created partitions. Mogens -- Mogens Kjaer, mk at lemo.dk http://www.lemo.dk
On 04/18/12 1:18 AM, John R Pierce wrote:> so I want to install c6.2 x86_64 onto a 2.7TB /dev/sda ... its a > virgin machine with no software, using pxe boot. > > disk druid or whatever seems to only want to let me have like 2tb of > default stuff, I'm guessing because its not using GPT? > > do I need to preboot into a shell or something and use parted before I > can install ?ah, I can't see anywhere in the BIOS for this SuperMicro X8DT6 mobo where to enable EFI, I guess its not supported. -- john r pierce N 37, W 122 santa cruz ca mid-left coast
On Apr 18, 2012, at 12:16 PM, John R Pierce wrote:> ah, I can't see anywhere in the BIOS for this SuperMicro X8DT6 mobo > where to enable EFI, I guess its not supported.There are other ways to get booting from GPT, involving shadow EFI bootloaders and a shadow MBR. Most of this was developed for the 'hackintosh' scene but it should would fine for booting CentOS from huge drives. Look for the Chameleon boot loader. You'll need to use gdisk to set the correct GPT GUID for the Linux partitions to make Chameleon boot. Since you're not necessarily wanting to boot XNU as well as CentOS, you wouldn't need the full Chameleon; the simpler PCEFI or something like that would work fine, and you wouldn't need (nor want) the whole /Extra thing that is used to boot XNU on generic PC hardware. I haven't tried it, but single-booting CentOS 6 on one of those bootloaders should work as well as dual-booting XNU and Linux from Chameleon and similar fake EFI bootloaders works (many have done this; see the insanelymac and infinitemac sites for more info).