Re: Removing fdisk and bsdlabel (legacy partition tools)

In message <20240125101308.92E931A6@slippy.cwsent.com>, Cy Schubert writes:
> In message <84c6f3b1-58b3-44f8-aeaf-35f78e05975d@quip.cz>, Miroslav Lachman 
> wri
> tes:
> > On 25/01/2024 06:50, Cy Schubert wrote:
> > > In message <CANCZdfq+F1iFpUkDEYdcxPJfp96Ymz8KjBGaK_JNN1i09s7P=A@mail.gmai
> l.
> > c
> >
> >
> > >>
> > >> What can they do that gpart can't do?
> > > 
> > > This was quite a while ago, booted off my recovery USB attempting to repa
> ir
> > > some self caused damage. The ability to edit (vi) a file with starting
> > > addresses and lengths, visually using bsdlabel, was suited to my panicked
> > > state as I worked to recover the machine.
> > > 
> > > A visual view of columns of a bsdlabel, editing a label using vi, checkin
> g
> > > and double checking numbers before committing them is handy.The visual
> > > format and the ability to adjust the numbers in an editor before committi
> ng
> > > them is handy. You can't do this with gpart, as it's transactional. And
> > > bsdinstall doesn't give one the opportunity to check the numbers in detai
> l
> > > on a console before committing them.
> >
> > If you really like your editor of choice to edit partition table, you 
> > can use gpart backup and gpart restore like this:
> >
> > gpart backup ada0 > ada0.part
> > vi ada0.part
> > gpart restore -F -l < ada0.part
>
> That would work.
>
> >
> > > Maybe a good GSoC project may be to replace bsdlabel's driect writes to
> > > disk with geom calls. Though, t doesn't need to be bsdlabel, but some kin
> d
> > > of utility that displays the existing label in an editor session where
> > > changes can be made, using the editor, and committed. This could even be 
> an
> > > enhancement to bsdinstall: call it expert mode or whatever.
> >
> > Manipulating partition table in editor session can be achieved by few 
> > lines of shell script as a wrapper around gpart backup & gpart restore.
>
> Or just build a gpart edit mode with the functions used to implement backup 
> and restore. Excellent idea. Thank you. A small project to work on.
>
> >
> > Kind regards
> > Miroslav Lachman

A freebsd-bsdlabel port has been created making way for its removal.


-- 
Cheers,
Cy Schubert <Cy.Schubert@cschubert.com>
FreeBSD UNIX:  <cy@FreeBSD.org>   Web:  https://FreeBSD.org
NTP:           <cy@nwtime.org>    Web:  https://nwtime.org

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