'create msdos label' in partitioner unclear, please use 'master boot record (MBR)' term

[Jono Bacon]

When using the GParted partitioning tool, I clicked on the unallocated space and then clicked the New button to add a partition. The next dialog box only allows me to add an 'msdos label'.

From speaking to Kamian it seems that this really means 'Create a PC partition table'. This should be changed as (a) I am not using MSDOS and (b) users may confuse 'msdos' for a filesystem type.

Most people know msdos partition table as "master boot record (MBR) partitioning style", so, "MBR" should be mentioned in some way, as people familiar with other popular operating systems are most likely to deal with this partitioning style — and that is the term they are going to look for.

[HJMills (hjmills)]

A) Isn't this just a different way of implementing the same feature and not necessarily a bug. A drive needs a disk label before it can be partitioned so if the drive has no disk label gparted offers to create one. The only problem lies in not explaining that the drive has no disk label and that this is needed before a partition can be added. I think this lies somewhere between bug and feature request.

B) This bug (or feature request) is with a program that Ubuntu has no control over so it really should be reported upstream with the GParted developers.

[jasonq (jason-quinn)]

For what it's worth, I'm a native English speaker and I ended up here because I was confused why an msdos label is used on a Linix-only setup.

[Josef Andersson (northar)]

Same as above, ended up here because i got confused,, why would i create a msdos partitiontable..hmm.
Maybe something for the "papercuts team"

[Jan Claeys (janc)]

Well, it *is* an MS-DOS disk label... ;)

Calling it a PC partition label means that people will get confused in the future when more and more PCs will use GPT by default (as Apple's PCs already do).

Maybe calling it an "MS-DOS compatible disk label" would be the most correct?

[R4kk00n (r4kk00n)]

The term "disk label" is very unintuitive for people with Windows background. It sounds almost like "volume label" — but means an entirely different thing! I was close to erasing the partition table once because of this similarity when all I wanted was changing a label for a partition.

Microsoft calls this "master boot record (MBR) partition style" (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc771486.aspx) or "master boot record (MBR) disk" (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc725671.aspx)

I believe, "MBR" should be mentioned in some way, as people familiar with Windows systems are most likely to deal with this partitioning style — and that is the term they are going to look for.

[Mike (bild85)]

adding my voice to the chorus. I'm not a guru at low-level disk operations, but I've toasted my share of irrecoverable data. I am also confused why it defaults to create an MSDOS partition table on a Linux box.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

On Mon, Nov 09, 2009 at 08:43:55PM -0000, itismike wrote:
> adding my voice to the chorus. I'm not a guru at low-level disk
> operations, but I've toasted my share of irrecoverable data. I am also
> confused why it defaults to create an MSDOS partition table on a Linux
> box.

Because, unless you know better, that's what you want. The default is
not the problem here; the bug report is about the description of said
default.

[Curtis Gedak (gedakc)]

If I understand this problem correctly, it was resolved by the following two bug fixes:
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=422070
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=579266

[amithji (coolamith23)]

Isn't this just a different way of implementing the same feature and not necessarily a bug.

[amithji (coolamith23)]

https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=422070
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=579266
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc725671.aspx