UEFI partition format

[Ed_P]

I seem to recall reading that the UEFI partition doesn't have to be FAT to work. Was that posted here someplace?

[tagon]

From Wikipedia:

The EFI system partition needs to be formatted with a file system whose specification is based on the FAT file system and maintained as part of the UEFI specification; therefore, the file system specification is independent from the original FAT specification.[2][3] The globally unique identifier (GUID) for the EFI system partition in the GUID Partition Table (GPT) scheme is C12A7328-F81F-11D2-BA4B-00A0C93EC93B, while its ID in the master boot record (MBR) partition-table scheme is 0xEF. Both GPT- and MBR-partitioned disks can contain an EFI system partition, as UEFI firmware is required to support both partitioning schemes. Also, El Torito bootable format for CD-ROMs and DVDs is supported.

So it has to be an EFI system partition, which is not FAT, but derived from FAT. :-)

[Ed_P]

Thanks tagon. But somewhere someone wrote that the standard isn't enforced or something and the EFI partition can be NTFS or other format. I think they even said they had done it and it worked. Unfortunately I don't remember who or where and I apparently didn't bookmark the site.

[M. Eerie]

and the EFI partition can be NTFS

Have a look here

And here

[Ed_P]

Thank you M. Eerie.

[rych]

By the way, what's the minimum size for the first FAT32 partition for the porteus EFI? 100MB, 200, 300, 350MB?

[Ed_P]

50MB should work but most use 100MB.

My Porteus EFI USB drive is just 1 partition and Porteus runs fine on FAT32.