i386/61890: [fdisk] FDisk uses incorrect calculations for disk geometry guessing and validation

Tue Dec 14 12:40:28 PST 2004

The following reply was made to PR i386/61890; it has been noted by GNATS.

From: "Jacques Lareau" <jacques.lareau at adfdiesel.com>
To: <freebsd-gnats-submit at FreeBSD.org>, <c0d3h4x0r at hotmail.com>
Cc:  
Subject: Re: i386/61890: [fdisk] FDisk uses incorrect calculations for disk geometry guessing and validation
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 15:38:00 -0500

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 Hi there,
 =20
 Yes it is extremely frustrating because I=92m a big fan of FreeBSD.=20
 I can install FreeBSD with weird disk geometry, but it makes FreeBSD =
 really
 unstable:
 like doing a cvsup and the computer shuts down without any
 warning/logs/reason.
 =20
 My hardware may be cheap, but it=92s not rare at all.
 MSI 845GVM-V with Intel Celeron 2.0ghz, 80G WD Hard disk (WD800JB).
 =20
 I wonder why the FreeBSD team is taking so long to fix such a serious
 problem, because it IS A VERY SERIOUS problem.
 You can install FreeBSD with whatever disk geometry Fdisk thinks is =
 good,
 and end up having unusual problems and bugs,=20
 and make FreeBSD an non-stable OS.
 =20
 After Googled this problem up, I see a lot of people having this =
 problem,
 and others that probably have it but don=92t even know about it except =
 that
 their FreeBSD system is not stable at all. I can see someone in 1999
 reporting this bug. What=92s up with that?
 =20
 Please fix this up. If you want people to have FreeBSD, it must install
 itself correctly!
 =20
 Jacques Lareau
 Responsable Informatique
 ADF Diesel (Montr=E9al) Inc
 514-336-8371 ext. : 206
 =20

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 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
 style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
 font-family:Arial'>Hi there,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
 style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
 font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

Yes it is extremely
 frustrating because I&#8217;m a big fan of FreeBSD. =
 <o:p></o:p>

 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span lang=3DEN-CA =
 style=3D'font-size:
 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA'>I can install FreeBSD =
 with
 weird disk geometry, but it makes FreeBSD really =
 unstable:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span lang=3DEN-CA =
 style=3D'font-size:
 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA'>like doing a cvsup and =
 the
 computer shuts down without any =
 warning/logs/reason.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span lang=3DEN-CA =
 style=3D'font-size:
 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span=
 ></font></p>

 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span lang=3DEN-CA =
 style=3D'font-size:
 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA'>My hardware may be =
 cheap, but
 it&#8217;s not rare at all.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span lang=3DEN-CA =
 style=3D'font-size:
 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA'>MSI 845GVM-V with =
 Intel
 Celeron 2.0ghz, 80G WD Hard disk (WD800JB).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span lang=3DEN-CA =
 style=3D'font-size:
 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span=
 ></font></p>

 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span lang=3DEN-CA =
 style=3D'font-size:
 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA'>I wonder why the =
 FreeBSD team
 is taking so long to fix such a serious problem, because it IS A VERY =
 SERIOUS
 problem.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span lang=3DEN-CA =
 style=3D'font-size:
 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA'>You can install =
 FreeBSD with
 whatever disk geometry Fdisk thinks is good, and end up having unusual =
 problems
 and bugs, <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span lang=3DEN-CA =
 style=3D'font-size:
 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA'>and make FreeBSD an =
 non-stable
 OS.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span lang=3DEN-CA =
 style=3D'font-size:
 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span=
 ></font></p>

 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span lang=3DEN-CA =
 style=3D'font-size:
 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA'>After Googled this =
 problem
 up, I see a lot of people having this problem, and others that probably =
 have it
 but don&#8217;t even know about it except =
 that<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

their FreeBSD system =
 is not
 stable at all. I can see someone in 1999 reporting this bug. =
 What&#8217;s up
 with that?<o:p></o:p>

 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span lang=3DEN-CA =
 style=3D'font-size:
 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span=
 ></font></p>

Please fix this up. If =
 you
 want people to have FreeBSD, it must install itself =
 correctly!<o:p></o:p>

 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span lang=3DEN-CA =
 style=3D'font-size:
 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span=
 ></font></p>

 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span lang=3DEN-CA =
 style=3D'font-size:
 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA;mso-no-proof:yes'>Jacque=
 s
 Lareau<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span lang=3DEN-CA =
 style=3D'font-size:
 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA;mso-no-proof:yes'>Respon=
 sable
 Informatique<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span lang=3DEN-CA =
 style=3D'font-size:
 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA;mso-no-proof:yes'>ADF =
 Diesel
 (Montr=E9al) Inc<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span lang=3DEN-CA =
 style=3D'font-size:
 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA;mso-no-proof:yes'>514-33=
 6</span></font><font
 size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
 style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-no-proof:
 yes'>-8371 ext.&nbsp;: 206</span></font><font size=3D2 =
 face=3DArial><span
 style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p=
 >

 <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
 style=3D'font-size:
 12.0pt'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

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