Hi, -----Original Message----- From: Joseph Zieniewicz [SMTP:jozien@cybercomm.net] Sent: Saturday, June 03, 2000 12:36 AM <snip>
# fdisk -l Disk /dev/hda: 32 heads, 63 sectors, 524 cylinders
This is the disk geometry linux is using. Since you said it is an old computer perhaps the bios is not capable of handling this.
Units = cylinders of 2016 * 512 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/hda1 * 1 428 431392+ 6 DOS 16-bit >=32M /dev/hda2 429 524 96768 83 Linux native =============== This is part of /var/boot.msg:
<4>ide1 at 0x170-0x177,0x376 on irq 15 <6>hda: WDC AC2540F, 515MB w/64kB Cache, CHS=1048/16/63
Look here CHS=1048/16/63. This is the geometry reported to dos so it is looking for partitions based on this geometry which does not match the above CHS of 524/32/63.
<4>hdc: ATAPI 4X CD-ROM drive, 256kB Cache <6>Floppy drive(s): fd0 is 1.44M <4>Partition check: <4> hda: [PTBL] [524/32/63] hda1 hda2
As expected linux shrugs it all off and says "don't sweat it I've got you covered"
================
I can logon to /dev/hda2 using a lilo boot disk and I have a usable linux system. I guess the partition table is messed up in dos but why does linux recognize the partitions?
My best guess is that the HD was partitioned using some sort of LBA mode or disk translation software to get past the 1024 cyl limit in dos. Since it seems the software translation is gone that makes the bios unable to find the system, linux however supports most (all?) of these translation schemes and thus it is able to read the drive and partition table. It won't matter much to linux so if that's all you are going to run you might as well change the fat partition to ext2 or swap :-). If you want dos to be able to read it you will have to do the following. Back up anything you want saved since it will be gone by the end. Boot the rescue system and run fdisk (m will always give you the list of options) Delete your current partitions. Switch to expert mode: x Now you can use c and h to change the disk geometry to match what the bios reports so dos can see it. You can now add your partitions back or change them however you like, just beware that your cylinders are going to be about 500K each instead of 1Meg. Also note that for fat16 partitions, you are probably better off with two 210 Meg partitions rather than one 420 Meg. Make sure that dos (or whatever) can now read/modify your partitions and install away. If not you can always use the rescue system to put it back the way it was, you did save the old partition table right ;-) The downside: You now have more than 1024 cylinders which can cause problems with lilo if you don't make sure to keep the kernel under that limit. So you will need the latest lilo that doesn't have this limitation, make a /boot partition within the first 1024 cylinders or boot from floppy. Oh yeah, dos won't be able to see those last few cylinders either. Write back if you get stuck. Tim -- To unsubscribe send e-mail to suse-linux-e-unsubscribe@suse.com For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the FAQ at http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/