Resolving "Partition 3 not start physical sector boundary" Warning during Proxmox 8.1 Installation
During the installation of Proxmox 8.1, you may encounter a warning message related to partitioning. This article aims to provide a detailed guide on how to resolve the "Partition 3 not start physical sector boundary" warning. We will cover key concepts, subtitles, and paragraphs, with code blocks enclosed within tags.
Understanding the Warning
The warning message typically appears when using the fdisk utility to partition a disk during the Proxmox installation process. It indicates that the partition's starting sector is not aligned with the physical sector boundary of the disk. This misalignment can lead to suboptimal performance and reduced disk lifespan. To resolve this issue, we will create a partition table using GPT (GUID Partition Table) instead of the default MBR (Master Boot Record).
Switching to GPT Partition Table
During the installation process, when prompted to partition the disk, choose the "Manual" option. Select the disk you want to partition and choose "Continue." Instead of creating partitions directly, select "Configure the selected partitioning method" and then choose "GPT." This will create a GPT partition table on the disk.
fdisk /dev/sda
Command (m for help): g
Created a new GPT disklabel (GUID: SOME-GUID)
Creating Partitions
Now, you can create partitions with the desired sizes and alignments. To create a new partition, use the n command, followed by the partition number, first sector, and last sector. For optimal alignment, use the following formulas:
- For the first partition: Start at sector 2048
- For subsequent partitions: Start at a multiple of 2048 (e.g., 4096, 6144, etc.)
fdisk /dev/sda
Command (m for help): n
Partition number (1-128, default 1): 1
First sector (2048-..., default 2048):
Last sector, +/-sectors or +/-size{K,M,G,T,P} (2048-..., default 2048): +50G
Command (m for help): n
Partition number (2-128, default 2): 2
First sector (1050624-..., default 1050624):
Last sector, +/-sectors or +/-size{K,M,G,T,P} (1050624-..., default 1050624): +100G
Setting Partition Types
After creating the partitions, set their types using the t command. For the first partition, set it as an EFI system partition (code ef00). For the second partition, set it as a Linux filesystem (code 8300).
fdisk /dev/sda
Command (m for help): t
Partition number (1-128): 1
Hex code (type L to list all codes): ef00
Changed type of partition 'Linux filesystem' to 'EFI System'
Command (m for help): t
Partition number (1-128): 2
Hex code (type L to list all codes): 8300
Changed type of partition 'EFI System' to 'Linux filesystem'
Writing the Partition Table
Once the partitions are created and their types set, write the partition table to the disk using the w command.
fdisk /dev/sda
Command (m for help): w
The partition table has been altered!
Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
Syncing disks.To resolve the "Partition 3 not start physical sector boundary" warning during Proxmox 8.1 installation, use GPT partition table instead of the default MBR. Create partitions with optimal alignments, set their types, and write the partition table to the disk. This will ensure proper partition alignment and prevent performance degradation and reduced disk lifespan.
References
- Proxmox VE: Proxmox VE
- GPT vs MBR: GPT vs MBR
- fdisk manual: fdisk manual