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  • Re: [gentoo-user] format usb as ext4

    From Wol@21:1/5 to Mitchell Dorrell on Mon Nov 4 00:40:01 2024
    On 24/10/2024 04:01, Mitchell Dorrell wrote:
    I have no idea whether you can skip the partition table and still be
    usable with computers running Windows or Mac OS or with embedded systems
    like home printers or commercial photo kiosks.

    Seeing as it's removable media I would expect most of those to have
    problems if you DID have a partition table. It's linux that's unusual in
    being happy with a partition table on removable media.

    Cheers,
    Wol

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  • From Matt Jolly@21:1/5 to Wol on Mon Nov 4 03:20:01 2024
    Hi,

    On 4/11/24 09:35, Wol wrote:

    Seeing as it's removable media I would expect most of those to have
    problems if you DID have a partition table. It's linux that's unusual in being happy with a partition table on removable media.


    That is not the case at all. Without a partition table how would other
    OSes handle, say, a USB thumbdrive with multiple partitions?

    Various *nixes are the systems that don't mind if you just bang a
    filesystem directly onto a storage device. Windows would (and does)
    have a conniption if this is attempted.

    Regards,

    Matt

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  • From Wols Lists@21:1/5 to Matt Jolly on Mon Nov 4 08:40:01 2024
    On 04/11/2024 02:11, Matt Jolly wrote:
    Hi,

    On 4/11/24 09:35, Wol wrote:

    Seeing as it's removable media I would expect most of those to have
    problems if you DID have a partition table. It's linux that's unusual
    in being happy with a partition table on removable media.


    That is not the case at all. Without a partition table how would other
    OSes handle, say, a USB thumbdrive with multiple partitions?

    I wasn't aware they could...

    Various *nixes are the systems that don't mind if you just bang a
    filesystem directly onto a storage device. Windows would (and does)
    have a conniption if this is attempted.

    I know linux doesn't care - has never cared, but historically you did
    NOT have partition tables on removable media. Floppy disks didn't have partition tables. I'm not aware of early SD cards or USB sticks having partition tables. It's only relatively recently with "huge" media sticks
    that partition tables on removable media have become a thing.

    If you wanted to boot a Windows install from a USB stick, I'm used to
    just dd'ing the CD iso (shows how long ago that was) to the stick.

    Certainly in the early days, istr Windows being unable to find a
    partition table on a USB stick.

    Cheers,
    Wol

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  • From Viorel Munteanu@21:1/5 to All on Mon Nov 4 09:40:02 2024
    La 04.11.2024 09:35, Wols Lists a scris:
    I know linux doesn't care - has never cared, but historically you did
    NOT have partition tables on removable media. Floppy disks didn't have partition tables. I'm not aware of early SD cards or USB sticks having partition tables. It's only relatively recently with "huge" media
    sticks that partition tables on removable media have become a thing.

    Actually they did.  USB sticks had a partition table, and Windows would
    would only see the first partition.  It did not show you the partition
    table, but it was there.

    I think the last floppy without a partition table was the 1.44 MB one
    (ok, the 2.88 MB too, but I never saw one).  Even ZIP drives had a
    partition table.


    Viorel

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