EFI GPT Problem installing OpenSuse 12.3 with Win8 on a SSD

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Hello everyone,

I have really tried to find a post about this issue, but I didn’t find anything clear (I am quite a noobie). I have a machine with two hard drives. I have Win8 Installed on the SSD (not preinstaled) and I wanted to dual boot with open suse, instaling OpenSuse on a 30 Gb partition of this SSD.

I create the partition on Windows (unformated) and when I try to install OpenSuse and choose only that partition it tells me the following:
"
Error:
Warning: Your system states that it requires an EFI boot setup. Since the selected disk does not contain a GPT disk label, YaST will create a GPT label on this disk. You need to mark all partitions on this disk for removal.
"
And I don’t want to format the whole disk. What does this exactly mean?
What can I do?

Thanks for your help in advance!

PD: I installed OpenSuse on my laptop with Win8 without any troubles, but I don’t know what to do

2

I am doing a bit of guessing here.

This is what it looks like to me:

  1. Your SSD is not GPT partitioned;
  2. You installed Win8 on it;
  3. Therefore, Win8 is set for legacy MBR booting – my understanding is that an EFI install of Win8 requires GPT.

It would seem that the obvious thing to do is for you to install opensuse for MBR booting.

If I am correctly understanding your post, you are getting that confusing message early in the install (probably at the partitioning section). I think that means that you booted the DVD in UEFI mode.

On my system, when I try to boot the DVD, I hit F12 during boot and the BIOS gives me a boot menu. It gives two entries for opensuse. One of those is for the UEFI boot, and the other is to boot the DVD with legacy MBR booting. If you have the same choices, then try MBR booting of the DVD. The chances are that the confusing message won’t appear, and you will be able to install without further EFI problems.

If that doesn’t work, then the alternative would be to ignore the confusing message. But you might have to go into expert partitioning mode. And then, you would also have to reconfigure the booting to use “grub2” and not “grub2-efi”.

If you can manage a legacy MBR boot of the DVD (or whatever you are using), then I think that will be the easiest way to go.