Re: /boot/efi size, 260MiB minimum for FAT32 ESP) -- WAS: /boot size

On Sat, Apr 23, 2016 at 9:07 PM, Chris Murphy <[email protected]> wrote:
> Anaconda's current ESP default produces a 200MiB FAT16 volume using
> 4KiB clusters. The Windows 8 and 10 (enterprise) installers use this
> without complaint.

BTW, I _have_ seen _several_ cases where the FAT16 ESP created by
Anaconda is _not_ used by the Windows installer, and creates yet
_another_ FAT32 ESP.  Sometimes it uses the existing ESP.  Sometimes
it creates a 2nd ESP.

Yes, FAT16 _is_ compatible.  When it doesn't, one can manually move
boot files over an "re-target" that ESP in the uEFI firmware, and make
the BCD changes for BOOTMGR.  But it's a PITA and redundant when it
doesn't use it.

If you don't believe me, do several new Fedora installs, then try
installing 7, 8 and 10 and see the different scenarios where it does
and doesn't use the existing, FAT16 ESP.  I've seen several cases with
7 and 8.

Put whatever text in there you want for this.  I offered a suggestion.
If the installer goes, "Oh, I'm only going to use this blank for
Linux," then nothing changes.  But if the installer goes, "Well, I
might install a non-Linux later," then it's pretty much the one to
check.

The mass ignorance of even the existence of the "Reserved" (0C01h)
partition, let alone there's not a day that goes by where a Linux site
says, "Oh, Microsoft doesn't even use it, I cannot mount it," is part
of the problem.  I'm just trying to _maximize_ a GPT disk label's
compatibility.


--
Bryan J Smith  -  http://www.linkedin.com/in/bjsmith
E-mail:  b.j.smith at ieee.org  or  me at bjsmith.me