GPT "Type device filename, or press <Enter> to exit?

Question

I am attempting to install Arch Linux (for the hundredth time) and I recently ran across another problem. I am trying to find a list of my partitions. In order to do this I entergdisk When I do this however it returns

Type device filename, or press to exit:

I have attempted entering gdisk /dev/disk1 When I do this I get there error

Problem opening /dev/disk1 for reading! Error is 2.

However, I am still able to mount partitions when I know the partition. I am simply trying to get a list of my partitions so I can remember which ones they are.

Any help understanding the problem would be useful.

(Off topic question: Boot loaders do not need to be installed in the first partition of root correct? Last time I installed it I put it in /boot yet I was given an error)

Solution 1

gdisk is throwing an error because /dev/disk1 is only an example, not a real block device. Use gdisk /dev/sda if you want to work on your first drive.

gdisk is extradordinarily well documented on it's author's, Rod Smith, site: Rod's Books.

Solution 2

gdisk Error 2 means the file or device could not be found. Several other commands will list disks and partitions:

sudo parted -l

sudo fdisk -l

lsblk

As for boot loaders, where you install them depends on the boot loader and the partition table as well as computer BIOS. See the Arch Wiki for a detailed explanation.

Comments

[Griffin]

The Arch wiki is the most confusing thing in the world.

[Griffin]

I wish they would just separate all the different types of installs.

[dartonw]

@Griffin - agree the wiki could use some restructuring, but the linked article is actually very informative and well-written. I'm more of a Fedora guy myself, so haven't spent a lot of time there.

[flurbius]

where did you get the definition for Error 2? I have looked at the documentation and cant find what is Error 13 or 6 for that matter.