Hosed Grub with the push of a button

[max bianco]

On Fri, Apr 18, 2008 at 6:35 AM, Jim Cornette
<fc-cornette at insight.rr.com> wrote:
> Robert Nichols wrote:
>
> > Jim Cornette wrote:
> >
> > > My guess would be that the motherboard has a chip inside that has a
> compressed image of what was originally installed on the computer, like what
> a install CD would have. hitting that button probably launches the flash
> image which expands it from the end of the disk on forward. That would
> explain why it took over the tail end of the LVM partitioned off space.
> There are probably no safeguards for the routine to check first what is
> setup before going to town and doing its thing.
> > >
> >
> > That's almost certainly what happened.  There was undoubtedly a hidden
> > partition at the end of the disk, and that partition got wiped out when
> > the Linux installer was told to use the whole disk.  Pressing the magic
> > button restored that hidden partition, overwriting the end of the LVM
> > in the process.
> >
> > Simplest preventive measure is to leave that partition in place when
> > creating the LVM.
> >
> >
>
>  I can see a value for the button if one has a disk failure so the disk
> information can be restored to original condition. Since the button will
> overwrite whatever is contained on your hard disk, leaving it intact does
> make sense. If I ever purchase a computer with the "easy button" I would
> leave the partition intact since now reading how other's lost working
> systems because of that feature.
>
>  I guess his best option would be to wipe out the partition table and then
> press the "easy button". Afterward he could setup his alternative
> installation. (Or cover up the button.)
>
>  Jim
>
Installing any OS, especially Windows is so easy a monkey could do it.
If you need a button to do it, then you are not qualified to use a
computer. All you have to do is hit next about 8 times in a row to
install fedora.

Max