Michael Durket wrote: > I'm just about to install the new Roswell beta. I've been > using the pre-Roswell 2.2 kernel series and I have a few questions > about disks and partitions: > > 1) In the README it states that if you used the 2.2 betas the > correct partition codes didn't get written so you have to > re-install. > The most current README (that i am currently reading) states that you actually can use the old partitions. It's just that we recommend to use the new partition layout as thats the one IBM will most likely support for a longer time. > Do you instead mean that the disks have to be entirely > reformatted? > No. You can still use the old disks and partiton tables, but again, this is a dead end as IBM probably won't do a whole lot of work on the old partiton style anymore. > If they need to be reformatted, I assume that means that the > system, once installed, cannot mount or recognize other > partitions (containing local data, for example) that I might > have created under the previous betas - i.e. I need to > reconstruct all my previous data? > It can, at least up until now. If the old partition format support gets dropped someday though then you won't be able to access these devices anymore as the kernel won't see them. > 2) Does the dasd driver still support CMS FORMATTED and RESERVED > minidisks? > The kernel is able to handle it the old formats and partition types. The new dasdfmt that we have in the current version is only able to format in the new style though. So if you install a new machine and try to use an older 2.2 kernel it won't work as the 2.2 kernel won't recognize the new partition style. In short words: The current 2.4 kernel still detects and offers old 2.2 kernel partition tables. You will be able to install on previously formated and partitioned dasd devices, but you can only format dasd devices in the new format. We recommend to switch to the new style as this is really the way to go and additionally offers a little more flexibility (having up to 3 partitions for a dasd device is surely an advantage i'd say). But what you can always do is to install a new machine on a fresh dasd, format and partiton another new dasd and copy over the data from the dasd formated and partitoned in the old style. That will only need one additional dasd device but should be worth it. Read ya, Phil -- Philipp Knirsch | Tel.: +49-711-96437-470 Development | Fax.: +49-711-96437-111 Red Hat GmbH | Email: Philipp.Knirsch@redhat.de Hauptstaetterstr. 58 | Web: http://www.redhat.de/ D-70178 Stuttgart | Fear can hold you prisoner, hope can set you free.
