Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:58:03 -0700 (PDT) From: "Ronald F.Guilmette" <rfg@tristatelogic.com> To: FreeBSD-gnats-submit@freebsd.org Cc: rfg@tristatelogic.com Subject: docs/177457: diskinfo -v shows inacurate drive size Message-ID: <20130329005803.ED2AF3BB62@segfault.tristatelogic.com> Resent-Message-ID: <201303290100.r2T101HX011185@freefall.freebsd.org>
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>Number: 177457 >Category: docs >Synopsis: diskinfo -v shows inacurate drive size >Confidential: no >Severity: serious >Priority: medium >Responsible: freebsd-doc >State: open >Quarter: >Keywords: >Date-Required: >Class: doc-bug >Submitter-Id: current-users >Arrival-Date: Fri Mar 29 01:00:00 UTC 2013 >Closed-Date: >Last-Modified: >Originator: Ronald F. Guilmette >Release: FreeBSD 9.1-RELEASE amd64 >Organization: entr0py >Environment: FreeBSD 9.1-RELEASE amd64 >Description: Apparently, under various conditions, diskinfo -v will show a size for the specified drive which is smaller than the actual physical drive size, as indicated by S.M.A.R.T. information (which can be queried using smartctl, part of the smartmontools port). This behavior on the part of diskinfo may perhaps be attributable to the presence of either a Host Protected Area (HPA) and/or a Device Configuration Overlay (DCO), or perhaps even by the interposition, between the physical drive and the host, of certain brands and models of STAT/USB protocol adapters/converters. Although I personally am not sure of the specific conditions that may give rise to these anomolies in the drive size, as reported by diskinfo, I _am_ completely sure that the man page for diskinfo really should include detailed information on the actual source of the drive size information that it displays. Unfortunately, at present it does not, leaving the subject entirely open to speculation. This should be corrected. The diskinfo man page should be enhanced to include information about the source of the drive size information and the various factors that might possibly cause the drive size, as reported by diskinfo, to differ from that reported by smartctl. >How-To-Repeat: man 8 diskinfo >Fix: I really don't know what the proper fix is. Either the author or the source code of diskinfo should be consulted to try to find out the source of the drive size information that diskinfo reports. >Release-Note: >Audit-Trail: >Unformatted:
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