From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG  Mon Jun  2 07:22:20 2003
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8D05237B401
	for <freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org>;
	Mon,  2 Jun 2003 07:22:20 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from starbug.ugh.net.au (starbug.ugh.net.au [203.31.238.37])
	by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9144F43FB1
	for <freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org>;
	Mon,  2 Jun 2003 07:22:19 -0700 (PDT)
	(envelope-from andrew@ugh.net.au)
Received: by starbug.ugh.net.au (Postfix, from userid 1000)
	id 8EC49A80F; Tue,  3 Jun 2003 00:22:19 +1000 (EST)
Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1])
	by starbug.ugh.net.au (Postfix) with ESMTP id 763495430
	for <freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org>;
	Tue,  3 Jun 2003 00:22:19 +1000 (EST)
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 00:22:19 +1000 (EST)
From: Andrew <andrew@ugh.net.au>
To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org
Message-ID: <20030603001755.S68271-100000@starbug.ugh.net.au>
X-WonK: *wibble*
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Subject: Retrieving disk geometry
X-BeenThere: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1
Precedence: list
List-Id: Technical Discussions relating to FreeBSD
	<freebsd-hackers.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-hackers>,
	<mailto:freebsd-hackers-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-hackers>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-hackers-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-hackers>,
	<mailto:freebsd-hackers-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 02 Jun 2003 14:22:20 -0000

Hi,

Under FreeBSD 4.x the ioctl DIOCGDINFO could be used to retrieve the
number of cylinders, heads and sectors of a drive. This could be called on
/dev/ad0 for example. Under FreeBSD 5 it seems to produce "Inappropriate
ioctl for device" unless you call it on an individual partition
(/dev/ad0s1a for example).

Is there a way around this?

Thanks,

Andrew