1.0 KiB
1.0 KiB
Simple partition table format
This document specifies a general partition table format suitable for both unmanaged disks, and tapes.
Partition table
The partition table resides at the end of the disk - the last sector of the disk, for several reasons:
- Ease of implementation for firmware to load from first partition
- Compatibility with existing partition table formats
The partition table takes one sector (512 bytes) and is divided into 16 entries, 32 bytes each.
Partition entry
Each entry consists of:
- A 20 byte name field, padded with null characters.
- A 4 byte type field. This can be used either as a number or a string.
- A 4-byte start sector field.
- A 4-byte length field.
Any entry with no name should be ignored.
Tape considerations
It may prove easier to use a tape if one were to implement a virtual drive component that maps to the data on a tape.
Booting
It is suggested that firmware loads and runs the first partition with type "boot". More advanced booting logic may be implemented if desired.