Re: cannot create sda16

"Greg Freemyer" <greg.freemyer@xxxxxxxxx> · Wed, 4 Apr 2007 14:22:19 -0400

On 4/4/07, Shriramana Sharma <samjnaa@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hello. I am wondering if the following is a kernel bug. I am using v
2.6.17 -- 11th debian patch. I am unable to stat more than 16 partitions
on a SATA hard disk, though parted allows me to create more than that.
Please see the following:

$ sudo parted
GNU Parted 1.7.1
Using /dev/sda
Welcome to GNU Parted! Type 'help' to view a list of commands.
(parted) print

Disk /dev/sda: 9729,80,62
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
BIOS cylinder,head,sector geometry: 9729,255,63.  Each cylinder is 8225kB.
Partition Table: msdos

Number  Start     End          Type      File system  Flags
  1      0,1,0     130,254,62   primary   linux-swap
  2      131,0,0   6204,254,62  primary   ext3
  3      6205,0,0  7509,254,62  primary   ext3
  4      7510,0,0  9728,254,62  extended
  5      7510,1,0  7609,254,62  logical   ext3
  6      7610,1,0  7709,254,62  logical
  7      7710,1,0  7809,254,62  logical
  8      7810,1,0  7909,254,62  logical
  9      7910,1,0  8009,254,62  logical
10      8010,1,0  8109,254,62  logical
11      8110,1,0  8209,254,62  logical
12      8210,1,0  8309,254,62  logical
13      8310,1,0  8409,254,62  logical
14      8410,1,0  8509,254,62  logical
15      8510,1,0  8609,254,62  logical
16      8610,1,0  8709,254,62  logical
17      8710,1,0  8809,254,62  logical
18      8810,1,0  8909,254,62  logical

(parted) quit
$ ls /dev/sda*
/dev/sda  /dev/sda1  /dev/sda10  /dev/sda11  /dev/sda12  /dev/sda13
/dev/sda14  /dev/sda15  /dev/sda2  /dev/sda3  /dev/sda5  /dev/sda6
/dev/sda7  /dev/sda8  /dev/sda9

OTOH I have no problems creating the same number of partitions on an IDE
hard disk. man:hd(4) says I can have upto 63 partitions on an IDE disk.
man:sd(4) speaks about only sd[0..8] and though this is outdated --
sdx15 is max, I still don't see why I should not be allowed to use more
than 16 partitions on a SATA hard disk. If this is really a kernel bug
please tell me where I can report it, and if it is not a bug, then what
is it and how can I fix it?

Thank you.

Shriramana Sharma.

Bug may be a little strong, but it is occasionally discussed as a
"limitation" of the new libata driver and it is well known to the main
libata developers.

I don't know of a patch floating around, but if you want to submit one
I suspect it would get accepted or at least positive feedback about
what approach the developers are considering.  Specifically, the
libata subsystem is in the process of replacing the ide subsystem and
IIRC this limitation is listed as one of the current blockers for full
replacement.  (There are many others, so it is not a top priority.)

Greg
--
Greg Freemyer
The Norcross Group
Forensics for the 21st Century

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