mactel-support team mailing list archive

[Ricky Campbell <cyberdork33@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Apr 3, 2009, at 9:15 AM, theOlster wrote:
> If you think it would be worth me removing the partition and starting
> again from scratch, then I might have some time this weekend. But I  
> only
> want to do it if it is worth it!

No, it seems to manifest itself when you actually do the partitioning,  
especially, for the first time. So that means that you would have to  
resize your OSX partition back to fill the space and start like new. I  
don't think it is worth all that.

maybe it is only affecting those that don't already have a MBR table  
defined (since it is not needed for a normal OSX installation).

-- 
Partition Table is cleared during install on Intel Macs
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/222126
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Mactel
Support, which is the registrant for Mactel Support.

Status in grub-installer: Invalid
Status in Mactel Support: Fix Committed
Status in “parted” source package in Ubuntu: Fix Released
Status in “ubiquity” source package in Ubuntu: Invalid
Status in parted in Ubuntu Hardy: Triaged
Status in ubiquity in Ubuntu Hardy: Invalid
Status in parted in Ubuntu Intrepid: Triaged
Status in ubiquity in Ubuntu Intrepid: Invalid
Status in parted in Ubuntu Jaunty: Fix Released
Status in ubiquity in Ubuntu Jaunty: Invalid

Bug description:
Binary package hint: ubiquity

Ubuntu 8.04 Final

Intel Macs have an EFI system and a GPT. The installer seems to handle the GPT correctly (as it has in the past), but it has recently come up that the installer is completely emptying the contents of the MBR partition table which is still required to boot Windows and Ubuntu (GRUB relies on the MBR partition table). The two tables are not synced automatically.

When users install Hardy, they are suprised to find that the system is unbootable (the EFI loader cannot "see" the partition as bootable). a tool such as rEFIt or gptsync can copy the information in the GPT into the MBR table thus fixing the issue (for most). 

This is even more serious for users with other working OS installs in addition to Ubuntu (such as other linux distros and Windows) since it completely dumps the information needed to boot these installs as well.

The expected procedure (and how the previous Ubuntu install seems to have handled it) is to 'update' both the GPT and the MBR table with changes instead of completely losing the information stored there.

gparted / parted seemed to update both tables properly previously as well.

I will be doing a full install on my iMac later and will be able to add additional information.