[parted-devel] Need for a unique Linux GPT GUID type code (PATCH included)

[Chris Murphy]

On Mar 6, 2012, at 9:54 AM, Rod Smith wrote:

> On 03/06/2012 04:21 AM, Jim Meyering wrote:
>> Keshav P R wrote:
>>>     Status of Rod's patch?
>> 
>> It breaks one of the "make check" tests, and I suggested how to fix that.
>> It did not update NEWS or documentation, and it did not add any
>> test case of its own.
> 
> I made all those changes except for the test suite, since I don't know enough about what's in your test suite to try my hand at making the changes. Please see my patch submitted on 6/28; the post is archived here:
> 
> http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-parted/2011-06/msg00050.html

I'm a little mystified, but also find it ironic, how the Windows basic data GUID was chosen for linux partitions in the first place. If one billion people each threw up one billion darts, pretty good odds not one would have landed near the Windows basic data GUID. And yet with GPT, we have a situation that did not exist with MBR: a lack of distinction between linux (0x83) and Windows (0x07) partition types, despite having comparatively infinite alternatives to choose from.

Chris Murphy