boot0hfs on GPT disk

[kizwan]

I tried it again with FAT32 EFI partition.
(continue from previous)
1) Remove the Windows 7 partition using Disk Utility
2) Resize the OSX partition to cover all spaces available
3) Install boot0

Code: [Select]

fdisk440 -u -f /usr/standalone/i386/boot0 -y /dev/disk04) Set EFI partition as active partition
(Reboot - found able to boot into OSX)
5) Change the EFI partition filesystem from HFS to FAT32 (when I said "change", I meant erase/format):-

Code: [Select]

newfs_msdos -F 32 -v EFI /dev/rdisk0s16) Restore the EFI contents
7) Reinstall disk loader & whatnot:-

Code: [Select]

fdisk440 -u -f /usr/standalone/i386/boot0hfs -y /dev/disk0
dd if=/dev/rdisk0s1 count=1 bs=512 of=/tmp/origbs
cp /usr/standalone/i386/boot1f32 /tmp/newbs
dd if=/tmp/origbs of=/tmp/newbs skip=3 seek=3 bs=1 count=87 conv=notrunc
dd of=/dev/rdisk0s1 count=1 bs=512 if=/tmp/newbs(Reboot - found able to boot into OSX)
Split the partition to two. 2nd partition for Windows 7.
9) Reinstall Windows 7.
10) Boot into OSX using external boot disk (USB)
11) Reinstall disk loader & whatnot:-

Code: [Select]

fdisk440 -u -f /usr/standalone/i386/boot0hfs -y /dev/disk0
dd if=/dev/rdisk0s1 count=1 bs=512 of=/tmp/origbs
cp /usr/standalone/i386/boot1f32 /tmp/newbs
dd if=/tmp/origbs of=/tmp/newbs skip=3 seek=3 bs=1 count=87 conv=notrunc
dd of=/dev/rdisk0s1 count=1 bs=512 if=/tmp/newbs
Result:-
Finally, able to boot into Windows 7 & OSX with boot0hfs.

I don't know why it doesn't work when I tried earlier.

Wish list:-
Please, please, please add support for EFI partition with HFS filesystem. I don't like FAT32 since it produced a lot of "dot" (.) files.

[Blackosx]

Hi kizwan

Nice! - Good to read you have it working, although not with HFS. 

I would have thought the combination of boot0hfs and boot1h can be used with an HFS format EFI system partition but I just haven't looked any further in to it. If I find out how then I'll post here. Or maybe one of the devs can shed some light here?

[kizwan]

Someone claims at "Chameleon Open Issue" that EFI partition with HFS+ filesystem is already supported by boot0hfs. If this is true, why I can't get it to work? 

[Blackosx]

Good news that someone is working with it. 
I haven't had any time to do any further testing, but hopefully you'll have the answer soon.

[kizwan]

Actually, I think he is not from chameleon team. Apparently he replied there without reading/understand my report. He thought I was claiming chameleon doesn't support HFS+ filesystem. To cover his mistake, he did claimed the boot0hfs + EFI + GPT + Windows does working on his computer but without given any details. 

[Blackosx]

I found some more time for testing and this time with a hard drive which I formatted with zeros for a fresh start. Then tried with boot0hfs and boot1h combo using the EFI system partition in HFS format. This works just fine

Start with:

Code: [Select]

/dev/disk0
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *500.1 GB   disk0
   1:                        EFI                         209.7 MB   disk0s1
   2:                  Apple_HFS OSX_TEST                250.1 GB   disk0s2
   3:       Microsoft Basic Data WIN_TEST                249.7 GB   disk0s3
Steps used:
newfs_hfs  -v EFI /dev/rdisk0s1
fdisk440 -f boot0hfs -u -y /dev/rdisk0
dd if=boot1h of=/dev/rdisk0s1
mkdir /Volumes/EFI
mount_hfs /dev/disk0s1 /Volumes/EFI
cp boot /Volumes/EFI
drag my Extra folder to /Volumes/EFI
umount -f /Volumes/EFI/
rm -rf /Volumes/EFI

I didn't bother with checking or changing the active partition although it's probably sensible to do so.

Conclusion:
I didn't do anything different to when I first tested here which worked before, but it doesn't explain why I also had failure here. All I can think of was formatting the disk helped this time and maybe before my disk contained some erroneous data?

[kizwan]

Did you installed windows?

[Blackosx]

Sorry for the delay, I've been out all day..

But no, I hadn't installed Windows, but since you asked I have gone ahead and installed Windows 7 to disk0s3 then booting in to an OSX install on a second HDD I ran

Code: [Select]

fdisk440 -f boot0hfs -u -y /dev/rdisk0and I can 100% confirm it works just fine. Windows is the active partition and sleeps as it should.

[kizwan]

This is really weird. Seriously, I'm not making this up. I already format the HDD many time. I done it carefully so that I didn't miss anything. The only difference between you & me this time is that you:-
1) Install OSX
2) Install bootloader (boot0hfs & whatnot)
3) Install Windows
4) Install boot0hfs

While I:-
1) Install OSX
2) Install Windows
3) Install bootloader (boot0hfs & whatnot)

I use r629. Can you post your boot files here (boot, boot0hfs, boot1h, etc)?

[Blackosx]

One thing worth mentioning is the steps I did were actually:

1) format HDD
2) install bootloader (boot0hfs, boot1h & boot) to disk0 from OSX on disk1.
3) Install Windows
4) install boot0hfs.

Note: disk0s2 is blank without OSX.

Here are the Chameleon files I am using.

[kizwan]

Thank you for the Chameleon files. I'll tried it again with my Acer Aspire 9420.

I have another computer which is Acer Aspire 3680. The HDD is GUID/GPT disk & EFI partition is HFS+ filesystem. It have OSX 10.5.8 & Windows Vista. It use AnVAL bootloader based on RC4. Since I no longer use OSX on this computer, I already set Windows Vista partition as active partition long time ago. Today I test boot0hfs on this computer & it work.
1) Boot to OSX 10.5.8 on internal disk (disk0) with external boot disk (disk1)
2) Install boot0hfs:-

Code: [Select]

fdisk440 -f boot0hfs -u -y /dev/rdisk03) Copy boot file to EFI partition (/dev/disk0s1 - /Volumes/EFI)
4) Reboot & confirm it does work

Do you agree if I said that boo0hfs is a bit fragile when it come to HFS+ EFI partition? I think the problem happen when I tried to install partition loader (boot1h). Do I need to install regular disk loader (boot0) first before installing dual-boot loader (boot0hfs) on new setup?

[kizwan]

@Blackosx,

Update on Acer Aspire 9420. boot0hfs now works with HFS+ EFI partition. I'm using Chameleon files you gave me earlier. I also can confirmed that boot file you gave is different compared to r629's boot file (using diff). I don't know whether it is the caused of the problem since I didn't investigate it further.

This how I installed the boot loader:-

Code: [Select]

mkdir /Volumes/EFI
mount_msdos /dev/disk0s1 /Volumes/EFI
tar -cjvf ~/Desktop/EFI.tar.bz2 /Volumes/EFI
umount /Volumes/EFI
newfs_hfs  -v EFI /dev/rdisk0s1
fdisk440 -f boot0hfs -u -y /dev/rdisk0
dd if=boot1h of=/dev/rdisk0s1
mkdir /Volumes/EFI
mount_hfs /dev/disk0s1 /Volumes/EFI
cd /
tar -jxvf ~/Desktop/EFI.tar.bz2
cp boot /Volumes/EFI
umount -f /Volumes/EFI/
rm -rf /Volumes/EFI
Now it works & I'm happy. May I know which branch or trunk these boot files came from? Never mind, I just check & the boot files is from r629 but I don't know why it is different with mine. Mine was taken from RC5 Installer package (test installer at insanelymac). Anyway, this just proved it does work.

 As I always be, thank you very much for your help.