handbook basics: add information about GPT partitions

[• karels]

Summary

Generalize section on disk partitions by adding information on using
GPT partitions as well as MBR, rearranging some of the material to
try to make it flow better. Use "BSD partition" to describe the
bsdlabel-based partitions inside a slice. Add section headings for
file systems and partitions. Other touch-ups while here.

Test Plan

check html

[bcr]

Found a few minor nits.
We should definitely recommend people to use GPT over MBR.

documentation/content/en/books/handbook/basics/_index.adoc

1208

s/partititions/partitions/

1216

Maybe mention here that in contrast to MBR, GPT can use many more partitions which is why it succeeded MBR.

[• karels]

Thanks, changes made in my copy. I'll push a new copy by the end of the day with any other changes.

[• karels]

Address review comments so far.

[carlavilla]

Works for me! Thanks!

[• karels]

Any other reviews planned? I'll wait a bit before I push this.

Sergio, I assume I can list you as approver? I'm not a doc committer.

documentation/content/en/books/handbook/basics/_index.adoc

1216

I didn't explicitly say this is why GPT succeeded MBR, but hopefully it is implicit.

[carlavilla]

Yes, you can use my approval.

[jrm]

documentation/content/en/books/handbook/basics/_index.adoc

1213

This seems to imply a relationship between firmware type and partitioning scheme. Could we simply say something like this.

GPT is the new partitioning scheme and MBR the old scheme.

[• karels]

documentation/content/en/books/handbook/basics/_index.adoc

1213

This was intentional. I'm reasonably sure that UEFI-capable systems can all do GPT, so I think there is a relationship between firmware type and partitioning scheme.

[jrm]

documentation/content/en/books/handbook/basics/_index.adoc

1213

Are they tightly coupled though? A UEFI system could, in principle, use MBR and can't (at lease some) BIOS systems be configured to use GPT?

[• karels]

documentation/content/en/books/handbook/basics/_index.adoc

1213

They are not tightly coupled. And firmware is not exclusively BIOS or UEFI, but most current ones can probably do both (and hence both MBR and GPT, probably in either combination). That's why I said "older BIOS-based computers", implying that newer and/or UEFI computers should be able to use GPT. I didn't want to be too specific, though; users will have to figure out what their systems support (and it may depend on whether they want multiple OSes installed).

What do you think? I wanted a hint, but nothing too specific.

[jrm]

documentation/content/en/books/handbook/basics/_index.adoc

1213

I can just relay what went through my mind when I read it. The topic here is disk partitioning and the goal is to tell readers that there are two different ways to partition disks. I'm just not convinced that bringing up firemware types here makes this point clearer. I may still be missing some context or experience though.

In any case, it's probably such a subtle point that most readers will not even notice. I don't want to hold up progress. Overall, the additions in this review are clear and helpful.