Re: partitions

["michael" <linux@networkingnewsletter.org.uk>]

> On Mon, Dec 11, 2006 at 06:38:30PM -0000, michael wrote:
>> > I'm not sure if I'm messed up here but all advice welcome:
>> >
>> >  I
>> >  used the WinXP setup CD to delete existing WinXP 32Gb partition,
>> >  created
>> >  2 new 16Gb partitions, then made some spare space at end a new
>> >  partition
>> >  too (it may have been 2 new partitions). WinXP installed okay into
>> one
>> > of the partitions (didn't create a
>> >  filesys on the others).
>> >
>> >  but then it seemed had to change from hda3 to hda6 to boot Debian and
>> > then when do gpart/parted it gives a
>> >  smaller no.
>> >  of partitions than the XP setup made and has a couple with same
>> >  starting
>> >  point (byte? cylinder?)....
>> >
>> > I then deleted the new partitions (leaving WinXP in the new but
>> smaller
>> > partition) but still Debian (eg parted) only sees 3 partitions and two
>> > of them start in same place.
>> >
>> > Sorry for lack of details - will write them down and post later today
>> >
>> >
>> here are the details from fdisk, sfdisk and mount respectively:
>> Disk /dev/hda: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
>> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders
>> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
>>
>>    Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
>> /dev/hda1   *           1        2081    16715601    7  HPFS/NTFS
>> /dev/hda2            4178       14592    83658487+   f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
>> /dev/hda5            4178        8354    33551721    b  W95 FAT32
>>
>> Command (m for help):
>>
>>
>>
>> Disk /dev/hda: 14593 cylinders, 255 heads, 63 sectors/track
>> Units = cylinders of 8225280 bytes, blocks of 1024 bytes, counting from
>> 0
>>
>>    Device Boot Start     End   #cyls    #blocks   Id  System
>> /dev/hda1   *      0+   2080    2081-  16715601    7  HPFS/NTFS
>> /dev/hda2       4177   14591   10415   83658487+   f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
>> 		start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,0,1)
>
> I don't like this warning or its repeat below. if you haven't yet
> installed deb, you might try rebuilding the partition table from the
> installer, or a live CD. You SHOULD be able to do so without affecting
> the ntfs partition, so long as you don't try to resize it (Though that
> works now too). having said that, the data above from fdisk looks all
> fine.
>
>> /dev/hda3          0       -       0          0    0  Empty
>> /dev/hda4          0       -       0          0    0  Empty
>> /dev/hda5       4177+   8353    4177-  33551721    b  W95 FAT32
>> 		start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,1)
>> /dev/hda6       8354   13955    5602   44998065   83  Linux
>> 		start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,0,1)
>>
>>
>> /dev/hda6 on / type ext3 (rw,errors=remount-ro)
>> proc on /proc type proc (rw)
>> devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,gid=5,mode=620)
>> tmpfs on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
>> usbdevfs on /proc/bus/usb type usbdevfs (rw)
>> /dev/hda5 on /data type vfat (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
>

Sorry, should have stated explicitly, that I had Debian & WinXP installed,
then deleted 32Gb WinXP partition leaving Debian as is. Then used WinXP
setup CD to create 2 new 16Gb partitions, in one of which I installed a
new WinXP

> your / is mounted on hda6 because 1) you've got a fat32 partition on
> hda5 AND they are both logical partitions, not physical
> partitions. logical partitions start their numbering at 5 and go up
> from there.
>
> you questioned the '+' and '-' symbols in the partition tables. I
> believe that merely refers to "a little bigger" or "a little smaller"
> than the number listed. it is merely because the units used to display
> the cylinder count and size of the partition is not precise enough --
> you've got fractional cylinders.
>
> hth
>
> A
>