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From: jm040795@fhda.edu (Raven)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.linux.hardware,comp.os.ms-windows.nt.setup.hardware,comp.os.ms-windows.setup.win95,comp.os.msdos.misc,comp.os.os2.setup.storage,comp.periphs.scsi,comp.sys.next.misc,comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc,comp.unix.solaris,comp.unix.unixware.misc,comp.unix.sys5.r4,comp.os.ms-windows.misc
Subject: Partitioning Woes INFO
Date: 2 May 1996 01:33:33 GMT
Organization: TheSharewareCollector
Lines: 91
Distribution: inet
Message-ID: <jm040795-0105961831030001@mencju.apple.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: a17-211-20-52.apple.com
Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.misc:101019 comp.os.linux.hardware:37700 comp.os.ms-windows.nt.setup.hardware:8724 comp.os.ms-windows.setup.win95:9178 comp.os.msdos.misc:54573 comp.os.os2.setup.storage:4829 comp.periphs.scsi:51413 comp.sys.next.misc:39463 comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc:897 comp.unix.solaris:67604 comp.unix.unixware.misc:12598 comp.unix.sys5.r4:10917 comp.os.ms-windows.misc:87054
Okay, when trying to install 13 OSes, I am running into some problems. Go
figure? Anyways I'm trying to compile a list of problems and diagnose the
problems. Maybe others may have some ideas or insight to what's
happening.
Problems Cause Notes
Can't boot off of second unknown
drive
Cannot boot above 1gig OS uses or is setup UnixWare and NeXTStep
to use BIOS to boot have this problem. Linux
versus a linear method has this problems
with
LILO, but can be
workaround
with 'linear' option.
Cannot partition drive unknown Maybe a problem with INT13
with OS fdisk utility vs linear partitioning. I
experienced problems with
Solaris reporting slice
exceeds the end of disk
when a drive is formatted
by PQMagic. Linux also
states that the partitions
are not aligned on correct
boundries.
Cannot install OS into OS does not support WindowsNT, OS/2, and Linux
extended logical this feature support this feature
partitions
Can only use/create four Inherent limitation Microsoft has a standard
partitions PC clones. partitioning scheme which
supports more than four
partitions. Currently only
DOS, Window95, WindowsNT
OSes support this
standard.
Cannot boot NT or OS2 Some OSes/software WindowsNT and OS/2 exhibit
and/or run Windows are configured to this behavioral problem
software after creating boot/load from a when booting. Windows apps
DOS/Win95 partitions. static particular and even some DOS apps
partition. exhibit this problem.
Termanologies/Technologies:
o Volumes - This is where you save you data. It could be a file, drive,
partition, network volume, floppy, serveral network volumes around the
network merged together to appear as a drive.
o Soft Partition - A file which exists within a hard partition. This file is a
contains the actual data contained within the virtual partition. On
Macintoshes a driver will mount this file as a partition that can be used.
On PCs, it could possible load soft partition files as volumes using a driver
for a propiertary format. Operating Systems have the ability to mount
logical drives existing within the extended partition. This logical drives
are actually files, or soft partitions, existing withing the extended
partition.
o Hard Partition - This is a predined area within you hard drive sectioned off
for storing data. A hard partition must be mapped on even cylinder
boundries.
o Extended partition - This partition is only used for contianing soft
partitions called logical drives. You cannot use the extended partition
itself a drive, but rather smaller partitions within the extended partition.
o Primary partition - This is a partition commonly used on PCs. You cannot have
smaller partitions within this volume.
o Geometry - This is how sectors are laid out on a hard drive. On IDE drives
this is all consistant, but for SCSI drives, the geometry layout varies from
SCSI card to SCSI card by different vendors. Many SCSI cards will read
other
vendors SCSI geometry, especially Adaptec products. This causes
problems for
users whom try to take devices for one computer to another with SCSI cards
made by different vendors. I believe this can be allievated by smart OSes
which can read multiple geometries.
I could be way off here on understanding extended partitions, but from
using PCs for a few years, I believe this is how they works. I do know
however that you are limited to only four partitions which really sucks.
If anyone has had problems partitioning and installing OSes, let me know.
I thought of compiling a chart of known problems and possible workarounds.
Send me any suggestions, better descriptions for novice users, or
additional input or even questions/problems.
- joaquin