Subject: Re: NetBSD <-> Solaris 8 disklabel compatibility?
To: der Mouse <mouse@Rodents.Montreal.QC.CA>
From: Lubomir Sedlacik <salo@Xtrmntr.org>
List: port-sparc
Date: 05/12/2002 19:16:39
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On Sun, May 12, 2002 at 12:58:23PM -0400, der Mouse wrote:
> > fdisk(1M) is for IA (x86) architecture only. you want to use
> > format(1M).
>=20
> I almost said that, but read the fifth line of output from fdisk; it
> quite clearly expects to be run on sparc.  I conjecture it's for IDE
> drives, on SPARC machines that can have them attached.

it's not. you can manipulate DOS-style partitions under Solaris/SPARC
with fdisk(1M) too, but that's all. it's not for native slices.

format(1M) is for both SCSI and IDE drives, it doesn't matter on SPARC.


from manpage:

NAME
     fdisk - create or modify fixed disk partition table
                                         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[...]

Note: Solaris/SPARC doesn't have "partition table", it has VTOC.

[...]

DESCRIPTION
     This command is used to  create  and  modify  the  partition
     table,  and to install the master boot (IA only) record that
     is put  in the first sector of the fixed disk.   This  table
     is used by the  first-stage bootstrap (or firmware) to iden-
     tify parts of the disk reserved for different operating sys-
     tems,  and to identify the partition  containing the second-
     stage bootstrap (the active Solaris partition).  The rdevice
     argument  must be used to specify the  raw device associated
     with the fixed disk, for example, /dev/rdsk/c0t0d0p0.

[...]

     Create a partition
           This option allows the user to create a new partition.
           The  maximum  number  of  partitions is 4. The program
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
           will ask for the type of the partition  (SOLARIS,  MS-
           DOS, UNIX, or other). It will then ask for the size of
           the partition as a percentage of the  disk.  The  user
           may  also  enter  the letter c at this point, in which
           case the program will ask for  the  starting  cylinder
           number  and size of the partition in cylinders. If a c
           is not entered, the program will determine the  start-
           ing  cylinder  number where the partition will fit. In
           either case, if the partition would overlap an  exist-
           ing  partition or will not fit, a message is displayed
           and the program returns to the original menu.

[...]

ATTRIBUTES
     See attributes(5) for descriptions of the  following  attri-
     butes:

     ____________________________________________________________
    |       ATTRIBUTE TYPE        |       ATTRIBUTE VALUE       |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|
    | Architecture                | IA                          |
                                    ^^
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|
    | Availability                | SUNWcsu                     |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|


regards,

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