Re: mkfs.msdos, FAT 32 and wrong disksize
> Dear all,
>
> don't ask why but I have to prepare a disk with FAT32.
I won't ask ;-) , but if you happen to have also Windows on your
machine, I think I have an advice.
To my experience, FAT32 is the only way to really share a partition
between Linux and Windows (i.e., have the same access to it). I have
also tried mkfs.msdos and have also got errors I did not even
understand because I know too little about VFAT.
AFAIK, Linux FAT support is still *alpha* (though I think this refers
to creating and checking such a filesystem, rather than using it), for
which reason I suspect it is wisest to make the filesystem ("format
the disk", as they say) under Windows. The second reason is that if
(and only if) you intend to use the partition under Windows as well,
you want to be sure it accepts the fs. Linux mkfs.msdos, however, has
quite a few fine-tuning options, which seems -- to me -- nothing less
than asking for trouble.
Yeah, my advice would be: play it safe. Format one of those partitions
with Windows, and then check again about the sizes. My bet is that
everything will be as supposed.
Another advice is taken from the fdisk manpage:
For best results, you should always use an OS-specific
partition table program. For example, you should make DOS
partitions with the DOS FDISK program and Linux partitions
with the Linux fdisk or Linux cfdisk program.
I would follow that. True, the Win fdisk is very unwieldy (if not
stupid) and lets you do things in a certain sequence only. That should
not be a problem if you are sure what to do. I have not had any
problems with the schedule:
1 - win fdisk
2 - linux fdisk
3 - win format (for all vfat)
4 - linux mkfs (for all ext2/3)
[I think under Windows, in some cases it can be important for the
drive letters not to change once they're recorded - or registered or
whatever.]
Hope this is still accurate (as far as the alpha status of FAT support
is concerned - I am using Woody) and helps,
Florian
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