Subject: Re: partitioning MS-DOS problems -- aargh!
To: Ian Fitchet <I.D.Fitchet@fulcrum.co.uk>
From: Ken Hornstein <kenh@entropic.com>
List: current-users
Date: 10/19/1994 17:02:15
> Having solved my vnode and mouse problems (it seems I should
>declare my PS/2 mouse as a BusMouse...) we now have problems with my
>colleague's machine in partitioning his disk. This affects me as well
>as I'd like to use the wasted space on my second drive (300MB or so).
>[...]
>FIPS version 1.1, Copyright (C) 1993/94 Arno Schaefer
The last time I used FIPS (a few months ago), it didn't do the partitioning
quite right. As I recall, it got the block size and offsets correct, but it
messed up the cylinder/head data (or maybe it was vice versa :-) ).
I eventually ended up going back with the NetBSD fdisk and putting those values
in sync. I'd recommend using that or pfdisk to correct the partition table.
(Side note - it might be a good idea to include fdisk on the install floppies;
last time I checked there was enough room.)
>[...fips legend...]
>
> MS-DOS can see the second partition and will use it quite happily.
>
> (the system type `0xa5' had to be munged in by hand --
>pointers to .exes to do it for you, gratefully received)
Again, either pfdisk or the NetBSD fdisk work great for that.
> I can mount /dev/fd0a as a msdos device and copy stuff from it (hence
>the output from fips) but disklabel says:
>
>disklabel: ioctl DIOCGDINFO: Invalid argument
I seem to remember this error will occur, but the disklabel command actually
succeeds.
> I can't mount /dev/wd1?, mount says:
>
>msdos: mount: Invalid argument
>
> but disklabel (only for wd1 or wd1d -- presumably for the
>inconsistent reasons currently being discussed) says:
># size offset fstype [fsize bsize cpg]
> d: 536870911 0 unused 0 0 # (Cyl. 0 - 3947580
You'll need to fix this 'd' partition.
--Ken