Re: [TCLUG:17648] Moving the install & Linux fdisk 20gb IDE drive h*ll

[Mike Hicks <hick0088@tc.umn.edu>]

BIll Layer wrote:
> 
> Hi Mike,
> 
> > I'm interested to know what Linux detects as the system is booted.
> 
> On bootup, the drive is detected as "Maxtor 52049U4 19541 MB w/ 2048KB cache
> 39703/16/63". The C/H/S is correct as per what the BIOS reports (in Normal
> mode) and this is also the figure I plugged into fdisk under xpert > change #
> of cyls.
> 
> Does it realy matter whether or not I have this drive in LBA, Large or Normal
> mode?

Well, if you have the time and patience to play around with it, I'd try
LBA or Large (I think my BIOS has an Auto mode, so I don't even worry
about it -- but my biggest drive is 6GB).  I've found the Linux kernel
to be remarkably good at detecting `weird' partitioning/addressing
methods, being able to read EZDrive'd disks and whatnot (although LILO
and other bootloaders can have problems with such drives).  Your main
problem may actually lie in the partitioning program.  Try using sfdisk
or cfdisk if changing the BIOS mode of the disk doesn't help..

-- 
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[ Mike Hicks | http://umn.edu/~hick0088/ | mailto:hick0088@tc.umn.edu ]