small newfs_msdos addition

Rink Springer rink at FreeBSD.org
Tue Nov 25 02:08:52 PST 2008


On Tue, Nov 25, 2008 at 11:02:43AM +0100, Luigi Rizzo wrote:
> Right now it does this:
> 
>     > newfs_msdos /tmp/aaa
>     newfs_msdos: warning: /tmp/aaa is not a character device
>     /tmp/aaa: 20424 sectors in 2553 FAT12 clusters (4096 bytes/cluster)
>     bps=512 spc=8 res=1 nft=2 rde=512 sec=20480 mid=0xf0 spf=8 spt=64 hds=32 hid=0
> 
> so the warning is there already.
> I am a bit reluctant to add one more option -- the whole goal was to
> make it easy to use, otherwise one could just exploit the existing flags.

Yes, that makes sense.

> > When I create a md(4), I may have accidently forgotten to specify the
> > geometry and I would like to be reminded that it made something up,
> 
> well, the whole geometry thing (and disktab) is a relic of the past.
> These days it is completley meaningless -- hard disks always have a fake
> geometry (63sec/255heads), same for flash memories...

Well, I vaguely recall problems when trying to boot from FAT12
filesystems for use on bootable CD's where the geometry was off...
However, this was quite a long time ago so my memory may be lapsing.

I think this change makes sense, especially since it will always inform
you of what it did. I'd say it's OK to commit.

Regards,

-- 
Rink P.W. Springer                                - http://rink.nu
"Anyway boys, this is America. Just because you get more votes doesn't
 mean you win." - Fox Mulder


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