New computer - Legacy BIOS vs UEFI, MBR vs. GPT ["SOLVED"]

[slipstick]

I've been using Mint on my old Pentium 4 computer for almost a year now. I'm getting a new computer and would like your thoughts on the best way to set it up. The new PC will have a Z97 chipset with a core i5-4690 processor, 8 GB memory, 1 TB hard drive, and a Nvidia GEForce GTX 750 Ti graphics board. It will come with Windows 7 Home Premium, 64 bit, already installed - I presume using legacy BIOS and MBR partioning. I will be installing Mint alongside Windows (need Windows for income tax software and to run an old Canon scanner for which I haven't been able to find a Linux driver). I have no experience with UEFI or GPT, but is there any advantage to reinstalling everything with UEFI and GPT (other than being able to put more partitions on the disk and easier partition re-sizing)? Would I be better off to stay with legacy BIOS and MBR?

[Pjotr]

I would leave the BIOS / UEFI as it is when you receive your new PC. I can't see much practical advantage in changing that....

[gold_finger]

I agree with Pjotr -- no compelling advantage to change from one to the other.

When you get computer, confirm which mode Windows was installed in. Probably easiest way is to boot with live Mint and run this command from a terminal:

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sudo parted -l

(Command ends with lowercase letter "L", not a number 1.)

First few lines of output will describe the hard drive and tell you whether it's using "msdos" or "gpt" partitions. For example:

Model: ATA WDC WD3200BEKT-2 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 320GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

If it says "msdos", then you know Windows was installed in BIOS/Legacy mode.

If it says "gpt", then you know Windows was installed in UEFI mode.

Install Mint in the same mode that Windows was installed in to have dual-booting work properly. To do that, you need to make sure the live DVD/USB you're using gets booted in the correct mode. Boot the live Mint, open a terminal and enter the following command:

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ls /sys/firmware

If you see "efi" listed in the output, you're booted in UEFI/EFI mode. If "efi" is not listed, you're booted in BIOS/Legacy mode. If it's not booted in correct mode, you need to access the UEFI boot menu during boot-up. There should be two choices (one for each mode) for booting the medium -- pick from there.

[Cosmo.]

Regarding UEFI:
As I told another user some time in the past: Be happy with legacy BIOS, for a longer answer look at this post.

Regarding GPT:
Using Linux you can combine BIOS and GPT, in Windows you cannot. GPT is bound for Windows-systems to UEFI. As you need double-booting, you have no free choice, because MS wants it so.
Combining GPT with BIOS gives the need to create the partition table beforhand with GParted, furthermore a small (1 MB) bootloader-partition has to get created as the first partition to make this drive bootable.

IMO GPT has advantages in stability, more freedom in managing partitions and the possibility to manage hard drives with more than 2 TB (maybe you want one in the future). My PC runs in the combination BIOS / GPT perfectly.

If you cannot get rid from Windows I would consider to install Windows in a virtual machine. This gives you the freedom to choose want you want (e.g. the combination I do use) and you can access Windows without the need to shut down Linux previously. Be noted, that running Windows in a virtual machine is no good choice, if you want it for gaming.

P.S. I use an old Canon Scanner N 650 U; it runs via sane out of the box here.

[slipstick]

Thanks to all of you who replied. Sorry for the delay in responding, but after I got my new computer the first order of business was to install an income tax program (in Windows) which did not have a Linux version. After completing my US tax return and e-filing I was able to turn my attention to installing Linux (dual-boot). I ran into a problem and have posted a new thread about that here:

http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=192669