On Sat, 5 Sep 1998, Ulrich Hausmann wrote:

> Frederick,
>=20
> when I booted in single user mode, I didn't get that error msg. But
> looking in /dev/, obviously, sd1a is still missing. Now, the files there
> (in /dev/) are that kinds of links (aliases or so?) to real pyhsical
> partitions? And if so, isn't it possible to rebuild one "by hand"?
> Especially since there are, as I saw two program files (or scripts?)
> MAKEDEV and MAKEDEV.local.
>=20
> Actually, in my understanding, I can not add a new user because I can
> not get in read/write mode, correct? And the reason is, that those
> /dev/sd1a does not exist . . . Btw, I didn't have any crash, neither in
> single mode nor in multiple user mode.
>=20
> Here are the other results of 'disklabel sd1' (note it's a Syquest 200
> at id 1):
>=20
> | # /dev/rsd1c
> | type: SCSI
> | disk: SCSI Disk
> | label: ficticious
> | flags:
> | bytes/sector: 512
> | sectors/track: 86
> | tracks/cylinder: 2
> | sectors/cylinder: 172
> |=DDcylinders: 2260
> | total sectors: 390696
> | rpm: 3600
> | interleave: 1
> | trackscrew: 0
> | cylinderscrew: 0
> |=DDheadswitch: 0              # milliseconds
> | track-to-track seek: 0     # milliseconds
> |=DDdrivedata: 0
> |
> | 1 partitions:
> | #      size     offset   fstype   [fsize  bsize    cpg]
> |   a:  1229536     101      4.2BSD         0      0     0   # (Cyl.
> 0-2271*)
> | disklabel: boot block size 0
> | disklabel: super block size 0
> | disklabel: warning, unused partition c: size 390696 offset 0

I have a similar problem with a Nomai MCD 540 removable with only one
partition. Try making a swap partition, even if it's only a small one.

> Hope this will give a better hint (not to me, so far :)  ).
>=20
> A question re the partitioning and preparation of a hd on the Macside:
> That limit of 8 partitions is meant, when formatting a Mac hd. Would
> there count in also all partitions created by Mkfs?

Mkfs doesn't make partitions, it only modifies the type of existing
partitions. And it  makes file-systems, also on existing partitions.

> I do not understand, whether or not the Ide driver is an own partition
> or simply written on to "driver partition" created by FWB or HD SC
> Setup. It's a bit a pity, FWB is so odd for NetBSD, since OTOH the full
> version is really nice for the Mac side (good recover tools and many
> options to optimize the format - differently from Silverlining and HD SC
> Setup). In any case, could I completely renounce at MacOS formatting,
> when I'd boot from a basic OS on an external drive. That would simplify
> things a lot, wouldn't it?

The IDE partition is an actual partition (as is the partition map
itself!). Apple's partitioning system is elegant, extensible, and wholly
incompatible with any one else's. (Like much of what they do!) A simple
solution, for you, might  be to use Mkfs to zap the IDE partition into a
swap partition. I believe that's possible. If not, perhaps FWB tools will
let you delete the IDE driver, and then you can convert the resulting
"Apple Free" partition to a swap. FWB is also supposed to be able to make
the correct type for NetBSD directly, but I find it easy enough to use
Mkfs for that.

I'm assuming that you don't have a swap because you have, like 128M or
something. If that's not the case, even a medium swap, of say 16M, could
make your system more stable. In any case, I would use Mkfs to rebuild the
filesystem and reinstall.

If you really want to try to salvage the existing filesystem, for
"practice", perhaps, use the installer to "create device files", and then
"force creation of new fstab." This after you've made your swap partition.
Then I would boot into single-user mode, run "fsck -fy" (or "fsck_ffs -b
32" as Bill Studenmund pointed out), until there were no more errors, and
then assess the damage.