Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 23:46:19 -0700 From: "Crist J. Clark" <cristjc@earthlink.net> To: Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com> Cc: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: disklabel output confusing or meaningless Message-ID: <20000710234618.C182@dialin-client.earthlink.net> In-Reply-To: <m2bt058ifx.fsf@reader.ptw.com>; from reader@newsguy.com on Mon, Jul 10, 2000 at 08:16:50PM -0700 References: <m2bt058ifx.fsf@reader.ptw.com>
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On Mon, Jul 10, 2000 at 08:16:50PM -0700, Harry Putnam wrote:
>
> Coming from a linux background I'm used to using fdisk to get
> important info such as what device names are attache to what partition.
>
> Linux fdisk gives a clear precise output, formated in a sensible easy
> to read fashion. Usable to write fstab or create mount commands etc.
>
> FreeBSD's `fdisk' gives a poorly formatted jumble of information most of
> which is nearly useless since it is not related to any device names.
> Just uses a numbering system, completely different than used by the
> OS.
It gives information about the Microsoft style partition table in the
same format the Microsoft's fdisk does. Since MS-style partitions,
a.k.a. slices, are Microsoft artifacts and not native to a UNIX-style
system, using the MS nomenclature seems logical to me. Conversion to
FreeBSD slices is straightforward,
MS partition - 1 = FreeBSD slice
> Someone told me to use `disklabel' to get information about disks.
That will tell you about partitions on disks.
> Using disklabel -r /dev/ad0s4e ( a recently created
> `anex' partition)
>
> I see what appears to be at best confusing and at worst nonsense
> information.
Hmmm...
> [...] snip
> 8 partitions:
> # size offset fstype [fsize bsize bps/cpg]
> c: 3213000 0 unused 0 0 # (Cyl. 0 - 199)
> e: 3213000 0 4.2BSD 1024 8192 16 # (Cyl. 0 - 199)
> root@satellite /
>
>
> This is one partition but it is reported as 8.
Reported as 8? I see two. There are eight possible partitions.
> Apparentluy two of those 8 are displayed, but wait, they are both at
> the same offset, span the same cylinders and are the same size. That
> size is twice what I partitioned.
>
> Wait again, one is unused and the other is 4.2bsd.
>
> Hopeless gibberish apparently.
No, well documented and precise information. From disklabel(8),
All disklabel forms require a disk device name, which should always be
the raw "complete" (or "c") partition, for example /dev/rda0c. disklabel
understands the abbreviation da0, which it converts internally to
/dev/rda0c.
The second entry is for a piece of the whole disk and may be used for
a filesystem, swap, vinum partition, etc. In this case, there is only
one UFS partiton using the whole disk.
> Is there an aftermarket or ported or whatever util that gives usabel
> readable information about the disk setup?
Looks quite readable. RTFM for the details.
--
Crist J. Clark cjclark@alum.mit.edu
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