Paritioning scheme on MBR disk doubts

Javier nixlist at outlook.es
Thu Aug 26 13:36:28 UTC 2021


Hi,

ok, finally, I'm going to dare to ask this (literally, after weeks,
no hurry). I felt somehow dumb asking it as it looks quite obvious,
but not asking it is a stone in my path before start fiddling with
FreeBSD.

(please, use monospace font where/if needed to view this mail
correctly)


I would like to know what is correct as the HandBook mainly talks
about GPT today and I think it doesn't cover what I'm in doubt of, or
I don't understand as is. Also have some disk basics in one section
and others in another, doesn't help, when you haven't installed 
and you haven reached that section yet.

Let me ask in schematic way :) (Questions in the middle)

Note: my original idea was to post this on the forum but formatting
capabilities... didn't help.

Anyway..., sorry the verbosity.

I guess we all agree (terminology correctness aside) with the
following two examples:
--------------
1) DOS|GNU/Linux

	MBR
	+---Primary/Extended* 1
	+---Primary/Extended* 2
	+---Primary/Extended* 3
	+---Primary/Extended* 4
		(if Extended)
			+---Logic 1
			+---Logic 2
			+---.
			+---.
			+---.
			+---Logic nth
--------------

2) DOS|GNU/Linux + FreeBSD

 	MBR
	+---Primary/Extended* 1
	+---Primary/Extended* 2
	+---Primary/Extended* 3
	¦	(if Extended)
	¦		+---Logic 1
	¦		+---Logic 2
	¦		+---.
	¦		+---.
	¦		+---.
	¦		+---Logic nth
	+---FreeBSD 4 (Slice)
			+---Partition 1
			+---Partition 2
			+---Partition 3
			+---.
			+---.
			+---Partition (h/eight/8?)


******	Being the FreeBSD slice on any position of the 4 MBR
possible options. Just placed 4th for simplicity in the scheme

--------------


Ok, now the third example, where I mixed cases, so some questions
in one.

Can a whole FreeBSD installation (mountpoints) be spread along
multiple slices?

Can I have more than h/eight/8 partitions when using more than one
slice? If no, why this small limit?

Can mountpoints be outside of slices? Specially or
specifically, /boot. Can it be on a FAT/32 or ext/2/3/4 file system
outside the slices? I understand any other should be inside the
FreeBSD slices only.

And when I say slices, I don't mean only on one disk, but several too.

Might be a dumb question, but better ask to be sure.

What is correct and what isn't.

--------------
3) DOS|GNU/Linux + FreeBSD (hypothetical case)

	MBR
	+---Primary/Extended* 1 /Boot
	+---FreeBSD 2 (Slice)
	¦		+---Partition 1 /etc
	¦		+---Partition 2 /home
	¦		+---Partition 3
	¦		+---.
	¦		+---.
	¦		+---Partition (h/eight/8?)
	+---Primary/Extended* 3
	¦	(*if Extended and only one)
	¦		+---Logic 1
	¦		+---Logic 2
	¦		+---.
	¦		+---.
	¦		+---.
	¦		+---Logic nth
	+---FreeBSD 4 (Slice)
			+---Partition 1 /
			+---Partition 2
			+---Partition 3
			+---.
			+---.
			+---Partition (h/eight/8?) /swap
--------------


Despite I ask for MBR scheme, that is my BIOS/Disk system, I guess
answers should be applicable to GPT, more or less, with its
differences.

Thanks, in advance, if I don't reply back, for your answers.

Regards.



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