Re: Reformatting external harddrive
On Tue, 12 May 2009 22:04:35 -0400, Daniel Underwood wrote: > According to the newfs manpages, you can specify a filesystem type > (-O) and a disktype (-T) for "backward compatibility." It further > appears that -O can only designate either UFS1 or UFS2. I don't quite > know what the -T option designates; i.e., back compatible with "what"? The -O 2 (default) would be the best solution I think. UFS2 is the standard in FreeBSD. And yes, I forgot to mention this: After formatting the drive, you will surely want to enable soft updates. Use the command # tunefs -n enable /dev/da0 to do this. Refer to "man tunefs" for more information, for example if you wish to set minfree to another than the default value, or the optimization for either space or time. The -T is mentioned in /usr/src/sbin/newfs/newfs.c line 388 cont. and of course in the getopt() selector at the beginning of the newfs program. > (I ask about the -O and -T options becase I would like to use this > harddrive on both my FreeBSD and my linux machine.) I'm not sure if Linux is able to use UFS... (I don't use Linux, so I really can't tell.). -- Polytropon >From Magdeburg, Germany Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0 Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ... ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Reformatting external harddrive
Thanks guys, this is perfect. According to the newfs manpages, you can specify a filesystem type (-O) and a disktype (-T) for "backward compatibility." It further appears that -O can only designate either UFS1 or UFS2. I don't quite know what the -T option designates; i.e., back compatible with "what"? (I ask about the -O and -T options becase I would like to use this harddrive on both my FreeBSD and my linux machine.) Thanks, Daniel ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Reformatting external harddrive
On Tue, May 12, 2009 at 01:41:37PM -0400, Daniel Underwood wrote: > Thanks for all the advice. This evening, when I get home to work, I > will try these suggestions. > > I have no idea why there is more than 1 partition on this disk. I must > have inadvertently created multiple partitions when I was struggling > to reformat this disk in linux. Every time I tried to fdisk (or > perhaps it was mkfs.ext3) on in linux, I got errors about a "bad > superblock" (which I understand somehow relates to the journaling > mechanism of ext3). According to the fdisk output you include, there is only 1 slice (called primary partition in MS land) being used on the disk. It has about 305242 MegaBytes which seems to be what you are looking for. It is possible to have up to 4 slices (primary partitions) on a disk. The fdisk output shows one being used and the other three empty and not being used.So, you are all fine. Ignore those bogus messages about BIOS and partitions not in cyl 1, etc. They are not relevant. You can now either use bsdlabel to create partitions within that slice or just use the slice as is. In either case, you have to newfs the unit to create a filesystem in it so you can mount it and write/read it. If you use it as is without creating partitions, then do: newfs /dev/da0s1 If you create one single partition within that slice - say a: for example then the newfs would be: newfs /dev/da0s1a If you create partitions, lets say a:, d: and e: then do: newfs /dev/da0s1a newfs /dev/da0s1d newfs /dev/da0s1e In any case, to not use partition c: and for sanity's sake avoid b: .c: is reserved to describe the whole slice and, by convention, b: is used for swap though that is not required. Some people suggest avoiding a: because it is most often a bootable partition. It is not required either, but it can reduce confusion to avoid it in non-bootable slices/disks. If your backups are small enough so more than one full dump can fit on the disk, then I suggest slicing and partitioning so that each full dump series can have its own partition. It is not a requirement. It is just easier to keep track of on those groggy odd hours. jerry > >> > >> *** Working on device /dev/da0 *** > >> parameters extracted from in-core disklabel are: > >> cylinders=38913 heads=255 sectors/track=63 (16065 blks/cyl) > >> > >> Figures below won't work with BIOS for partitions not in cyl 1 > >> parameters to be used for BIOS calculations are: > >> cylinders=38913 heads=255 sectors/track=63 (16065 blks/cyl) > >> > >> Media sector size is 512 > >> Warning: BIOS sector numbering starts with sector 1 > >> Information from DOS bootblock is: > >> The data for partition 1 is: > >> sysid 165 (0xa5),(FreeBSD/NetBSD/386BSD) > >> start 63, size 625137282 (305242 Meg), flag 80 (active) > >> beg: cyl 0/ head 1/ sector 1; > >> end: cyl 0/ head 254/ sector 63 > >> The data for partition 2 is: > >> > >> The data for partition 3 is: > >> > >> The data for partition 4 is: > >> > > ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Reformatting external harddrive
Awesome. This is exactly the advice I need. Thanks! ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Reformatting external harddrive
On Tue, 12 May 2009 13:41:37 -0400, Daniel Underwood wrote: > I have no idea why there is more than 1 partition on this disk. I think I just saw one partition (slice in FreeBSD) in your output. > The data for partition 1 is: > [blah] > The data for partition 2 is: > > The data for partition 3 is: > > The data for partition 4 is: > > Every time I tried to fdisk (or > perhaps it was mkfs.ext3) on in linux, I got errors about a "bad > superblock" (which I understand somehow relates to the journaling > mechanism of ext3). UFS has superblocks, too. > Therefore it is my hope that by reverting to the lowest level tools in > FreeBSD to reformat the drive (if that's even the appropriate step to > take) I can reclaim the ~300GB drive for external storage/backups. These tools are basic tools, not lowest level. In fact, they operate on a very high level of functionality. :-) If you want to use the disk as an external backup storage, the simplest thing is to # newfs /dev/da0 and then just mount it. If you're not going to slice and partition it, there's no need for fdisk or bsdlabel. The device /dev/da0, formerly /dev/da0c, refers to "the one whole partition on DA device 0", as /dev/da0s1c would refer to "the one whole partition covering the 1st slice of DA device 0"; you can, however, have more than one slice on that disk, and different partitions within each slice, such as /dev/da0s2g. But according to your requirement for a backup storage, using the whole disk altogether would surely be the best choice. You can then enter a line like /dev/da0/backup ufs rw,noauto 2 2 in your /etc/fstab, and then use # mount /backup do your backups or recoveries, e. g. with cpdup or tar, then use # umount /backup It's quite simple to do so. :-) -- Polytropon >From Magdeburg, Germany Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0 Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ... ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Reformatting external harddrive
Thanks for all the advice. This evening, when I get home to work, I will try these suggestions. I have no idea why there is more than 1 partition on this disk. I must have inadvertently created multiple partitions when I was struggling to reformat this disk in linux. Every time I tried to fdisk (or perhaps it was mkfs.ext3) on in linux, I got errors about a "bad superblock" (which I understand somehow relates to the journaling mechanism of ext3). Therefore it is my hope that by reverting to the lowest level tools in FreeBSD to reformat the drive (if that's even the appropriate step to take) I can reclaim the ~300GB drive for external storage/backups. On Tue, May 12, 2009 at 12:01 PM, Matthew Seaman wrote: > Daniel Underwood wrote: >> >> After unsuccessfully trying to reformat my external harddrive on my >> linux machine, I'm trying to reformat the disk in FreeBSD. Frankly, I >> just don't know how to do that. Please help me get the disk back to >> working order; I don't need to keep any data that is currently on the >> disk. >> >> The command >> >> $ /dev/da0 > > ITYM: fdisk /dev/da0 > >> gives the following output: >> >> *** Working on device /dev/da0 *** >> parameters extracted from in-core disklabel are: >> cylinders=38913 heads=255 sectors/track=63 (16065 blks/cyl) >> >> Figures below won't work with BIOS for partitions not in cyl 1 >> parameters to be used for BIOS calculations are: >> cylinders=38913 heads=255 sectors/track=63 (16065 blks/cyl) >> >> Media sector size is 512 >> Warning: BIOS sector numbering starts with sector 1 >> Information from DOS bootblock is: >> The data for partition 1 is: >> sysid 165 (0xa5),(FreeBSD/NetBSD/386BSD) >> start 63, size 625137282 (305242 Meg), flag 80 (active) >> beg: cyl 0/ head 1/ sector 1; >> end: cyl 0/ head 254/ sector 63 >> The data for partition 2 is: >> >> The data for partition 3 is: >> >> The data for partition 4 is: >> > > This says that you have written a partition table onto the drive that > indicates the whole disk is being used for FreeBSD. That's a good > start if your intention is to use the disk dedicated for FreeBSD. > > The way the partition naming scheme works you should now have a /dev/da0s1 > device file (indicating 'slice 1' or disk 'da0') > > In order to make the disk usable with FreeBSD, you need to follow something > like these steps: > > * Use bsdlabel(8) to create BSD partitions on slice1. To write a > default label: > > # bsdlabel -w /dev/da0s1 > > Then to edit the default label and define the partitions you want, > > # bsdlabel -e da0s1 > > Edit mode will pop up an editor with the existing BSD partition > table -- that's vi(1) by default but you can override it by setting the > EDITOR environment variable. > > If your aim is to use this disk as one big filesystem for storing data > then creating a 'd' partition covering all the available space would be > appropriate. After saving the edited partition table you should now have > a device file: > > /dev/da0s1d > > * Use newfs(8) to create a filesystem on the drive. I'd just leave it with > the default settings unless you know you're going to be using the disk > for unusually large files or unusually many very small files. > > newfs /dev/da0s1d > > * Mount the new filesystem to make it available to FreeBSD. Add a line > like > the following to /etc/fstab: > > /dev/da0s1d /data ufs rw 2 2 > > Then create the mount point: > > # mkdir -p /data > > and mount the drive: > > # mount /data > > The drive will be remounted automatically on system reboots and is > expected > to be permanently present. If you want to have the disk be removable, > then > read all about amd(8) and feel free to ask again here. > > Cheers, > > Matthew > > -- > Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil. 7 Priory Courtyard > Flat 3 > PGP: http://www.infracaninophile.co.uk/pgpkey Ramsgate > Kent, CT11 9PW > > ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Reformatting external harddrive
Daniel Underwood wrote: After unsuccessfully trying to reformat my external harddrive on my linux machine, I'm trying to reformat the disk in FreeBSD. Frankly, I just don't know how to do that. Please help me get the disk back to working order; I don't need to keep any data that is currently on the disk. The command $ /dev/da0 ITYM: fdisk /dev/da0 gives the following output: *** Working on device /dev/da0 *** parameters extracted from in-core disklabel are: cylinders=38913 heads=255 sectors/track=63 (16065 blks/cyl) Figures below won't work with BIOS for partitions not in cyl 1 parameters to be used for BIOS calculations are: cylinders=38913 heads=255 sectors/track=63 (16065 blks/cyl) Media sector size is 512 Warning: BIOS sector numbering starts with sector 1 Information from DOS bootblock is: The data for partition 1 is: sysid 165 (0xa5),(FreeBSD/NetBSD/386BSD) start 63, size 625137282 (305242 Meg), flag 80 (active) beg: cyl 0/ head 1/ sector 1; end: cyl 0/ head 254/ sector 63 The data for partition 2 is: The data for partition 3 is: The data for partition 4 is: This says that you have written a partition table onto the drive that indicates the whole disk is being used for FreeBSD. That's a good start if your intention is to use the disk dedicated for FreeBSD. The way the partition naming scheme works you should now have a /dev/da0s1 device file (indicating 'slice 1' or disk 'da0') In order to make the disk usable with FreeBSD, you need to follow something like these steps: * Use bsdlabel(8) to create BSD partitions on slice1. To write a default label: # bsdlabel -w /dev/da0s1 Then to edit the default label and define the partitions you want, # bsdlabel -e da0s1 Edit mode will pop up an editor with the existing BSD partition table -- that's vi(1) by default but you can override it by setting the EDITOR environment variable. If your aim is to use this disk as one big filesystem for storing data then creating a 'd' partition covering all the available space would be appropriate. After saving the edited partition table you should now have a device file: /dev/da0s1d * Use newfs(8) to create a filesystem on the drive. I'd just leave it with the default settings unless you know you're going to be using the disk for unusually large files or unusually many very small files. newfs /dev/da0s1d * Mount the new filesystem to make it available to FreeBSD. Add a line like the following to /etc/fstab: /dev/da0s1d/dataufsrw22 Then create the mount point: # mkdir -p /data and mount the drive: # mount /data The drive will be remounted automatically on system reboots and is expected to be permanently present. If you want to have the disk be removable, then read all about amd(8) and feel free to ask again here. Cheers, Matthew -- Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil. 7 Priory Courtyard Flat 3 PGP: http://www.infracaninophile.co.uk/pgpkey Ramsgate Kent, CT11 9PW signature.asc Description: OpenPGP digital signature
Re: Reformatting external harddrive
On Mon, 11 May 2009 21:18:13 -0400, Daniel Underwood
wrote:
> After unsuccessfully trying to reformat my external harddrive on my
> linux machine, I'm trying to reformat the disk in FreeBSD. Frankly, I
> just don't know how to do that.
The command
# newfs /dev/da0
should reformat the disk. You end up with one partition covering
the whole disk. There's no need to put a slice on it (with a
partition in it) when you're not going to boot from that disk.
> The command
>
> $ /dev/da0
Souldn't it be
# fdisk da0
because you're presenting a fdisk output?
> gives the following output:
>
> *** Working on device /dev/da0 ***
> The data for partition 1 is:
> sysid 165 (0xa5),(FreeBSD/NetBSD/386BSD)
> start 63, size 625137282 (305242 Meg), flag 80 (active)
> beg: cyl 0/ head 1/ sector 1;
> end: cyl 0/ head 254/ sector 63
There's a FreeBSD partition on that disk.
Which files do you have in /dev?
# ll /dev/da0*
Maybe you just need to newfs /dev/da0s1{a,c,d,e,...?}.
--
Polytropon
>From Magdeburg, Germany
Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...
___
freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list
http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions
To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Reformatting external harddrive
On Tuesday 12 May 2009 03:18:13 Daniel Underwood wrote: > After unsuccessfully trying to reformat my external harddrive on my > linux machine, I'm trying to reformat the disk in FreeBSD. Frankly, I > just don't know how to do that. Please help me get the disk back to > working order; I don't need to keep any data that is currently on the > disk. > sysid 165 (0xa5),(FreeBSD/NetBSD/386BSD) > start 63, size 625137282 (305242 Meg), flag 80 (active) > beg: cyl 0/ head 1/ sector 1; > end: cyl 0/ head 254/ sector 63 And what's not working? this shows a 30G FreeBSD partition? -- Mel ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Reformatting external harddrive
After unsuccessfully trying to reformat my external harddrive on my linux machine, I'm trying to reformat the disk in FreeBSD. Frankly, I just don't know how to do that. Please help me get the disk back to working order; I don't need to keep any data that is currently on the disk. The command $ /dev/da0 gives the following output: *** Working on device /dev/da0 *** parameters extracted from in-core disklabel are: cylinders=38913 heads=255 sectors/track=63 (16065 blks/cyl) Figures below won't work with BIOS for partitions not in cyl 1 parameters to be used for BIOS calculations are: cylinders=38913 heads=255 sectors/track=63 (16065 blks/cyl) Media sector size is 512 Warning: BIOS sector numbering starts with sector 1 Information from DOS bootblock is: The data for partition 1 is: sysid 165 (0xa5),(FreeBSD/NetBSD/386BSD) start 63, size 625137282 (305242 Meg), flag 80 (active) beg: cyl 0/ head 1/ sector 1; end: cyl 0/ head 254/ sector 63 The data for partition 2 is: The data for partition 3 is: The data for partition 4 is: ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
