Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:33:15 -0800 From: Marcel Moolenaar <marcel@xcllnt.net> To: "Andrey V. Elsukov" <ae@FreeBSD.org> Cc: Marcel Moolenaar <marcel@FreeBSD.org>, freebsd-ppc@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: IBook G4 and FreeBSD 9.0-RC2: unable to create four slices on hard drive? Message-ID: <2EF7C544-6D08-4A8D-8F6E-EE37225A4135@xcllnt.net> In-Reply-To: <4EC52908.50000@FreeBSD.org> References: <20111116224604.6403be5a.torfinn.ingolfsen@broadpark.no> <4EC4D537.4050704@FreeBSD.org> <20111117124742.50779e7a.torfinn.ingolfsen@broadpark.no> <4EC4F868.9020901@FreeBSD.org> <4EC52908.50000@FreeBSD.org>
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On Nov 17, 2011, at 7:32 AM, Andrey V. Elsukov wrote: > On 17.11.2011 16:04, Andrey V. Elsukov wrote: >>> entries: 3 >> ^^^ - this is why you get this error. >> >> This information is from the metadata. >> I'm not familiar with APM partition table, but may be Marcel can suggest something? > > So, i wrote a small patch. It reserves first 14 sectors to be able > create new partitions. Also, we can add a check that is there some free > space to extend APM when we are trying to add new partition. > Marcel what you think about that? I don't think it's a good idea for the simple reason that if I want to split the first partition into 2, I may find that I cannot recreate the first at the same offset as the one I deleted, because gpart adjusted the first usable sector. The fundamental problem here is that the APM only has 3 entries usable for partitions and since we don't have a gpart method for extending the partition table, users just need to destroy and recreate. Which is another reason why no partition scheme should have magic behaviour: if we later add a method of extending the partition table, any magic behaviour is likely to be in the way. In general: don't look too much and/or too often to quick and dirty "magical" work-arounds or solutions. Understand the problem and be willing to say that we don't have a solution for it (yet). Keep the schemes simple and straight-forward so they all behave the same with roughly the same limitations and features. FYI, -- Marcel Moolenaar marcel@xcllnt.nethelp
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