Re: Disk Geometries reported incorrectly on 2.6.0-testX

[Andrew Clausen]

On Wed, Dec 03, 2003 at 12:28:20PM +0100, Szakacsits Szabolcs wrote:
> > The real question is: "what is the default install option - LBA or CHS
> > - on modern(ish) Windows systems?"
> 
> Autodetect unless it's explicitely set.

Can you elaborate?  Autodetect what?  Autodetect if the BIOS supports LBA?

(BTW, "LBA mode" is purely setting CHS = x/255/63, right?
It's not like anything is getting enabled/disabled?)

> > What proportion of XP users boot via CHS?
> 
> Depends on BIOS, boot manager, configuration, etc.

Sure.  But can we estimate anyway?  Do a "random" survey?

* does more than 1% of the Windows market use a boot manager other
than Windows'/lilo/grub?  (Guess: No)

* what proportion of Windows users do any configuration themselves?
What about the OEM installers?  (Aren't these a high proportion?) 
(Guess: 90% OEM; 1% of users do boot config)

* do OEM installers generally use LBA?  (Guess: no idea)

Maybe the students/academics here should poke around their university
campuses.  I'm not sure how we could unobtrusively check!  Some BIOS
POST screens show useful info.

Cheers,
Andrew