Paritioning scheme on MBR disk doubts

[Javier]

Hi,

thanks for the helpful answer :)


> > 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
> 
> 	Yep - except IMSC n is no more than 4.


IMSC ?

If you mean the same as what Christian told, I never had that limit
of 4 logical in an extended partition.


> 	This the standard way of installing FreeBSD on an MBR based
> system - FreeBSD docs call the MBR partitions slices because they
> wanted to keep the partition name as used on other platforms.


Yes, I learned that, thanks :) I'd have to get used.

 
> > Can a whole FreeBSD installation (mountpoints) be spread along
> > multiple slices?
> 
> 	Yes but the installer won't be much help.


I see. I'll have to try what are the limits there and/or imagine how
to organize the disk.


> 	Unless MBR has changed since I last looked there could only
> be one extended partition(slice) and it had to be the fourth. Other
> than that this should work.

Yes, is limited to 1.

I originally intended to share an image where it was all clearer, but
image size and that it was going to be outside the list, I gave up.

Here it is. It is outdated and wrong in comparison with the schemes
sent to the list as I learned the 8 partition limits after I made the
image:
https://i.ibb.co/Mgxz2qZ/freebsd-part.png

This is the last edit and I haven't reviewed if it is the same I
posted here:
https://i.ibb.co/f2RZFst/bsdpart2021-08.png


What I'm not sure about the place, if it needed to be fourth. I
always set the last, but I don't remember if by restrictions, just
for simplicity.

I'll have to check because otherwise I'd have a big headache. The
other option is just run on a virtual machine with enough space for
it until I get used to FreeBSD and then cross the fingers to jump to a
reorganized physical disk (after backups madness).

 
> 	One more option (that you probably don't want), you can put
> a BSD disklabel on the whole disc and not have an MBR or GPT at all
> - this is called Dangerously Dedicated. I mention this only for
> completeness.


Thanks, but it will be shared with other OSs :) Not to mention that
I'd still need more than 8 partitions.


> > 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.
> 
> 	GPT is *much* simpler if you want lots of partitions -
> there's just one level and you can have as many as you like. No
> partition/slice confusion, no BSD disklabels, no extended
> partitions just a bunch of partitions with names that you provide.
> MBR is considered obsolete and GPT the replacement.
> 
> 	Highly recommend using GPT if all the OSs can use it.


I know, but my system is "old" and doesn't support GPT (with BIOS
instead EFI I'd say instead old; by the time could have EFI, but it
doesn't).

It is just what I have.

Regards.