Option to use /dev values instead of UUID values

[Dotan Cohen]

> Well, yes, /dev/?d? entries *are* much easier to read than UUIDs.
> However, device names have several disadvantages, which are important.

I am aware of the disadvantages. That is why it should be optional.
For most installs I do prefer UUIDs, but for some I prefer /dev
notation.


> A UUID is a permanent, direct link to a particular partition. If you
> delete an earlier partition on the disk, or merge 2 of them or
> something like that, then /dev entries change. If you delete /dev/hda2
> then /dev/hda4 can become /dev/hda3 and so on, which can result in a
> non-bootable system. UIIDs do not change & aren't affected by this.
>

Wrong. If you delete a partition, then the space remains unallocated.
The other partition numbers do not change.

However, if you format a partition, then it's UUID changes. This is a
problem as fstab entries must be updated. This is the use case where I
prefer to use /dev notation.


> If you move a partition from one drive to another, the UUID goes with
> it - so move /home from /dev/sda to /dev/sdb and the fstab will still
> find it. It won't if it's going by device node.
>

Correct. I wonder how common a use case that is, I've never had to do that.


> And if there *was* an option to go back to using device nodes, then
> where would you put the UI for this option?
>

On the partitioning page of the installer.

-- 
Dotan Cohen

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