Is Unallocated space before the first partition OK?

[stevesr0]

Hi,

This is my first post and a very basic one.

I purchased a Pi 2 a few days ago and just purchased a Samsung Pro 32 gig sd card (after reading a number of forum threads) to use with NOOBS.

I understand that the first partition should be vfat or fat32 for NOOBS to be able to deal with.

The partition IS vfat (fat32 version), so that should be fine.

However, in looking at the card on my computer with GParted, it finds that the first 8192 sectors are unallocated space.

So, rather than just assume that it is OK, I am asking.

Thanks in advance.

Steve

[Jednorozec]

It should be ok. Why don't you just try it.

[electronicsguy]

as the previous poster commented, try it. it should be ok. unallocated space is not a partition, so by definition your 1st partition is still that correct vfat partition.

[stevesr0]

Thanks.

Steve

[rpdom]

Yes, unallocated space is OK and normal. Often it is there because Flash Memory devices (SD cards), work in large data block sizes and work better if your data partition starts on their block boundary. By leaving certain sized bit of unallocated space between the partition table in block 0 and the start of the first partition you can certain that the partition will start in the correct block number of most devices.

[FM81]

... it finds that the first 8192 sectors are unallocated space.

That's normal, the optimal thing that you can do, is align partitions to the erase-block-size of the sd-card.

Code: Select all

cat /sys/devices/platform/mmc_host/mmc0/mmc0:xxxx/preferred_erase_size

('xxxx' is a placeholder) Divide the value through 512 and you'll get the start-sector of first partition. Following partitions should use a multiple of the first value.
In this case you will always have unallocated space, but "optimized partitions"!
Pre-defined images often fits to this rule, but they can not cover all types of cards in the world.

How ever, a card isn't so expensive; so you should decide to yourself, which way to prefer ...

Greetings, FM_81

[r4049zt]

probably ok. try it.
Today a specially complicated multi-partition 32GB SD card which I'd made in gparted did not work. My main goal had been to define a huge swap partition before running noobs. I wiped the card, reformatted to FAT32 which I think means much the same as VFAT, copied in the unzipped noobs content with the linux file manager, and that has booted ok.

So, default FAT32 might have a few blanks. multi-partition with fat32 as the first partition did not work.

[stevesr0]

Thanks to all for useful info and experiences.

I did "try it" and had no problem.

Steve