problems installing on an SSD

[aguila]

Hi all,

I bought a Plextor 256 GB SSD for my Thinkpad X 61 Tablet and according to an article in my trusted Linux magazine (LinuxUser) of July 2011 I did the following to optimize the performance of the SSD:

Code: [Select]

[root@localhost ~]# fdisk -lu /dev/sda

Disk /dev/sda: 256.1 GB, 256060514304 bytes
234 heads, 63 sectors/track, 33924 cylinders, total 500118192 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xff38005e

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1            2048   500118191   250058072   83  Linux
[root@localhost ~]# fdisk -H 32 -S 32 /dev/sda

Command (m for help): o
Building a new DOS disklabel with disk identifier 0x7f826550.
Changes will remain in memory only, until you decide to write them.
After that, of course, the previous content won't be recoverable.

Warning: invalid flag 0x0000 of partition table 4 will be corrected by w(rite)

Command (m for help): n
Command action
   e   extended
   p   primary partition (1-4)
p
Partition number (1-4, default 1): 1
First sector (2048-500118191, default 2048):
Using default value 2048
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G} (2048-500118191, default 500118191): +4500M

Command (m for help): n
Command action
   e   extended
   p   primary partition (1-4)
p
Partition number (1-4, default 2): 2
First sector (9218048-500118191, default 9218048):
Using default value 9218048
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G} (9218048-500118191, default 500118191): +20G

Command (m for help): n
Command action
   e   extended
   p   primary partition (1-4)
e
Partition number (1-4, default 3): 3
First sector (51161088-500118191, default 51161088):
Using default value 51161088
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G} (51161088-500118191, default 500118191): +206G

Command (m for help): w
The partition table has been altered!

Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
Syncing disks.
[root@localhost ~]# fdisk -lu /dev/sda

Disk /dev/sda: 256.1 GB, 256060514304 bytes
32 heads, 32 sectors/track, 488396 cylinders, total 500118192 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x7f826550

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1            2048     9218047     4608000   83  Linux
/dev/sda2         9218048    51161087    20971520   83  Linux
/dev/sda3        51161088   483174399   216006656    5  Extended
[root@localhost ~]#

Now, trying to install PCLOS or trying to format the drive, the installer as well as the partitioning tool in PCC crashes and I can't install.

Why didn't it work out?

Any help is highly appreciated.

TIA

Aguila

[AS]

drakdisk is based on libparted-2.3, and libparted 2-3 is known to have a bug when using geometry with head < 63. 

A solution is in testing right now 

Please see PM 

Why that geometry, how did you calculate it ?

AS






note to admins: (I'm exceeding 10 PM per hour, again ...  )

[pags]

Hi all,

I bought a Plextor 256 GB SSD for my Thinkpad X 61 Tablet and according to an article in my trusted Linux magazine (LinuxUser) of July 2011 I did the following to optimize the performance of the SSD:

Code: [Select]

[root@localhost ~]# fdisk -lu /dev/sda

Disk /dev/sda: 256.1 GB, 256060514304 bytes
234 heads, 63 sectors/track, 33924 cylinders, total 500118192 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xff38005e

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1            2048   500118191   250058072   83  Linux
[root@localhost ~]# fdisk -H 32 -S 32 /dev/sda

Command (m for help): o
Building a new DOS disklabel with disk identifier 0x7f826550.
Changes will remain in memory only, until you decide to write them.
After that, of course, the previous content won't be recoverable.

Warning: invalid flag 0x0000 of partition table 4 will be corrected by w(rite)

Command (m for help): n
Command action
   e   extended
   p   primary partition (1-4)
p
Partition number (1-4, default 1): 1
First sector (2048-500118191, default 2048):
Using default value 2048
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G} (2048-500118191, default 500118191): +4500M

Command (m for help): n
Command action
   e   extended
   p   primary partition (1-4)
p
Partition number (1-4, default 2): 2
First sector (9218048-500118191, default 9218048):
Using default value 9218048
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G} (9218048-500118191, default 500118191): +20G

Command (m for help): n
Command action
   e   extended
   p   primary partition (1-4)
e
Partition number (1-4, default 3): 3
First sector (51161088-500118191, default 51161088):
Using default value 51161088
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G} (51161088-500118191, default 500118191): +206G

Command (m for help): w
The partition table has been altered!

Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
Syncing disks.
[root@localhost ~]# fdisk -lu /dev/sda

Disk /dev/sda: 256.1 GB, 256060514304 bytes
32 heads, 32 sectors/track, 488396 cylinders, total 500118192 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x7f826550

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1            2048     9218047     4608000   83  Linux
/dev/sda2         9218048    51161087    20971520   83  Linux
/dev/sda3        51161088   483174399   216006656    5  Extended
[root@localhost ~]#

Now, trying to install PCLOS or trying to format the drive, the installer as well as the partitioning tool in PCC crashes and I can't install.

Why didn't it work out?

Any help is highly appreciated.

TIA

Aguila

Where are you trying to install, to?  You do not have any logical partitions within your extended container:

/dev/sda1            2048     9218047     4608000   83  Linux
/dev/sda2         9218048    51161087    20971520   83  Linux
/dev/sda3        51161088   483174399   216006656    5  Extended

[Old-Polack]

aguila:

The commands fdisk -l and fdisk -lu are exactly the same. Fdisk defaults to using sectors. If one wants to see the results as cylinders the command would be fdisk -l -u=cylinders. Otherwise the u in the command, as you used it, is superfluous.

For consistency, I would use a geometry of 255 heads 63 sectors/track, the same as for mechanical hard drives. Also, to avoid partitioning problems later on, I would create 3 normal primary partitions, with the 4th primary as the extended partition using the remainder of the drive. Any new partitions after that would automatically be logical partitions, thus maintaining numerical order consistent with physical location on the drive.

[aguila]

Hi all,

thanks for your help.

Installed from testing (as AS recommended) but now have lots of apps from testing....  deleted testing now from the repo, will that bork something? addlocale won't run, is that due to the packages from testing?

The geometry was suggested in the magazine, to align the drive correctly for blockwise deleting and to reduce unnecessary writing on the drive. Still have to enable TRIM. No idea if that's really necessary, but I feel their recommendations are rather profund.

Of course, I will believe you more than them 

Dumb me has created the /home partition within the extended partition, using the complete extended partition:

Code: [Select]

[andreas@localhost ~]$ df
Filesystem            Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda2              20G  4.5G   15G  24% /
/dev/sda5             198G  484M  197G   1% /home
[andreas@localhost ~]$ su
Password:
[root@localhost ~]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 256.1 GB, 256060514304 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 31130 cylinders, total 500118192 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x7f826550

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *        2048     9218047     4608000   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda2         9218048    51161087    20971520   83  Linux
/dev/sda3        51167025   470993669   209913322+   5  Extended
/dev/sda5        51167088   470993669   209913291   83  Linux
[root@localhost ~]#

Maybe I should just reinstall....

Thanks again for your help. This is really the best Linux community family in the world !!!! 

[AS]

Hi all,

thanks for your help.

Installed from testing (as AS recommended) but now have lots of apps from testing....  deleted testing now from the repo, will that bork something? addlocale won't run, is that due to the packages from testing?

You have the log of the installed packages in Synaptic -> File -> History:
Once you have removed the testing section, eventually you could remove the packages you have installed right now, when will reinstall the same apps, that ones available on stable branches will be installed. 
At worst you will do some testing 

The geometry was suggested in the magazine, to align the drive correctly for blockwise deleting and to reduce unnecessary writing on the drive. Still have to enable TRIM. No idea if that's really necessary, but I feel their recommendations are rather profund.

to enable TRIM you need to add the option discard in /etc/fstab, something like:

/dev/sda10      /vbox   ext4 acl,discard 1 2

Of course, I will believe you more than them 

Dumb me has created the /home partition within the extended partition, using the complete extended partition:

Code: [Select]

[andreas@localhost ~]$ df
Filesystem            Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda2              20G  4.5G   15G  24% /
/dev/sda5             198G  484M  197G   1% /home
[andreas@localhost ~]$ su
Password:
[root@localhost ~]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 256.1 GB, 256060514304 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 31130 cylinders, total 500118192 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x7f826550

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *        2048     9218047     4608000   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda2         9218048    51161087    20971520   83  Linux
/dev/sda3        51167025   470993669   209913322+   5  Extended
/dev/sda5        51167088   470993669   209913291   83  Linux
[root@localhost ~]#

Maybe I should just reinstall....

Thanks again for your help. This is really the best Linux community family in the world !!!! 

[AS]

One thing .. because I'm interested to parted-2.4 results, could you post the output of the following command ?

Code: [Select]

parted -l
thanks 

[Old-Polack]

aguila:

For example, my biggest drive, with the smallest use, so far.

[root@fatman ~]# fdisk -l /dev/sdc

Disk /dev/sdc: 2000.4 GB, 2000398934016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 243201 cylinders, total 3907029168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x18eee7ae

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdc1            2048     2099199     1048576   83  Linux                           <-- boot partition, I'll have many OS
/dev/sdc2         2099200    18876415     8388608   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdc3        18876416    81790975    31457280   83  Linux                      <-- / partition for 32 bit KDE
/dev/sdc4        81790976  3907029167  1912619096    5  Extended
/dev/sdc5        81793024   176164863    47185920   83  Linux                      <-- / partition for 64 bit KDE testing

I don't usually have a separate /home partition, instead choosing to use a number of data partitions for my personal stuff. I use one /etc/fstab for all my installations, editing only the LABEL=<whatever> of the / partition entry line, so all my data is always in the same relative place, whichever OS I boot to. For this installation my fstab looks like this;

[root@fatman ~]# cat /etc/fstab

Code: [Select]

# Entry for /dev/sdc3 :
LABEL=test2000          /                       ext4    defaults,noatime                1 1
LABEL=TR5-Documents     /home/polack/Documents  ext3    rw,user,noauto,exec,noatime     0 0
LABEL=Documents2        /home/polack/Documents2 ext3    rw,user,noauto,exec,noatime     0 0
# LABEL=share7          /share7                 ext3    rw,user,noauto,exec,noatime     0 0
LABEL=share1            /share1                 ext4    rw,user,auto,exec,noatime       0 0
LABEL=share9            /share9                 ext3    rw,user,auto,exec,noatime       0 0
LABEL=movies            /movies                 ext3    rw,user,auto,exec,noatime       0 0
LABEL=movies2           /movies2                ext3    rw,user,auto,exec,noatime       0 0
# LABEL=TV-1            /tv                     ext3    rw,user,noauto,exec,noatime     0 0
LABEL=storage00         /zstorage00             ext3    rw,user,noauto,exec,noatime     0 0
LABEL=120backup         /zbackup                ext3    rw,user,noauto,exec,noatime     0 0
LABEL=boot1000          /mnt/boot               ext3    rw,user,noauto,exec,noatime     0 0
#LABEL=part17           /mnt/17                 ext4    rw,user,noauto,exec,noatime     0 0
none                    /proc                   proc    defaults                        0 0
# Entry for /dev/sdc2 :
LABEL=swap2000          swap                    swap    defaults                        0 0
# Entry for /dev/sda2 :
#LABEL=swap300          swap                    swap    defaults                        0 0
# Entry for /dev/sda2 :
LABEL=swap1000          swap                    swap    defaults                        0 0
# Entry for /dev/sdb2 :
LABEL=swap750           swap                    swap    defaults                        0 0
none                    /dev/pts                devpts  mode=0620                       0 0
/dev/fd0                /mnt/floppy             auto    rw,user,noauto,exec             0 0
/dev/cdrom              /mnt/cdrom              auto    ro,user,noauto                  0 0
/dev/dvd                /mnt/dvd                auto    ro,user,noauto                  0 0
# none                  /dev/shm                tmpfs   defaults                        0 0

The fstab for the 64 bit KDE is shown below for comparison;

[root@fatman ~]# mount LABEL=test64 /mnt/here
[root@fatman ~]# cat /mnt/here/etc/fstab

Code: [Select]

# Entry for /dev/sdc5 :
LABEL=test64            /                       ext4    defaults,noatime                1 1
LABEL=TR5-Documents     /home/polack/Documents  ext3    rw,user,noauto,exec,noatime     0 0
LABEL=Documents2        /home/polack/Documents2 ext3    rw,user,noauto,exec,noatime     0 0
# LABEL=share7          /share7                 ext3    rw,user,noauto,exec,noatime     0 0
LABEL=share1            /share1                 ext4    rw,user,auto,exec,noatime       0 0
LABEL=share9            /share9                 ext3    rw,user,auto,exec,noatime       0 0
LABEL=movies            /movies                 ext3    rw,user,auto,exec,noatime       0 0
LABEL=movies2           /movies2                ext3    rw,user,auto,exec,noatime       0 0
# LABEL=TV-1            /tv                     ext3    rw,user,noauto,exec,noatime     0 0
LABEL=storage00         /zstorage00             ext3    rw,user,noauto,exec,noatime     0 0
LABEL=120backup         /zbackup                ext3    rw,user,noauto,exec,noatime     0 0
LABEL=boot200           /mnt/boot               ext3    rw,user,noauto,exec,noatime     0 0
#LABEL=part17           /mnt/17                 ext4    rw,user,noauto,exec,noatime     0 0
none                    /proc                   proc    defaults                        0 0
# Entry for /dev/sda2 :
LABEL=swap2000          swap                    swap    defaults                        0 0
# Entry for /dev/sda2 :
#LABEL=swap300          swap                    swap    defaults                        0 0
# Entry for /dev/sdc2 :
LABEL=swap1000          swap                    swap    defaults                        0 0
# Entry for /dev/sde2 :
LABEL=swap750           swap                    swap    defaults                        0 0
none                    /dev/pts                devpts  mode=0620                       0 0
/dev/fd0                /mnt/floppy             auto    rw,user,noauto,exec             0 0
/dev/sr0                /mnt/cdrom              auto    ro,user,noauto                  0 0
/dev/sr1                /mnt/dvd                auto    ro,user,noauto                  0 0
# none                  /dev/shm                tmpfs   defaults                        0 0

All of the data partitions are on other drives, (external) so don't show in the partition table for this drive. The commented entries are for partitions on a different machine, and uncommented when the external drives are attached to that machine, and one of the OS installed on the external drives is booted.

[aguila]

One thing .. because I'm interested to parted-2.4 results, could you post the output of the following command ?

Code: [Select]

parted -l
thanks 

Here you are:

Code: [Select]

[root@localhost ~]# parted -l
Modell: ATA PLEXTOR PX-256M3 (scsi)
Festplatte  /dev/sda:  256GB
Sektorgröße (logisch/physisch): 512B/512B
Partitionstabelle: msdos

Nummer  Anfang  Ende    Größe   Typ       Dateisystem     Flags
 1      1049kB  4720MB  4719MB  primary   linux-swap(v1)  boot
 2      4720MB  26,2GB  21,5GB  primary   ext4
 3      26,2GB  241GB   215GB   extended
 5      26,2GB  241GB   215GB   logical   ext4


[root@localhost ~]#

Why is the partition table 'msdos'? Is that correct?

[AS]

One thing .. because I'm interested to parted-2.4 results, could you post the output of the following command ?

Code: [Select]

parted -l
thanks 

Here you are:

Code: [Select]

[root@localhost ~]# parted -l
Modell: ATA PLEXTOR PX-256M3 (scsi)
Festplatte  /dev/sda:  256GB
Sektorgröße (logisch/physisch): 512B/512B
Partitionstabelle: msdos

Nummer  Anfang  Ende    Größe   Typ       Dateisystem     Flags
 1      1049kB  4720MB  4719MB  primary   linux-swap(v1)  boot
 2      4720MB  26,2GB  21,5GB  primary   ext4
 3      26,2GB  241GB   215GB   extended
 5      26,2GB  241GB   215GB   logical   ext4


[root@localhost ~]#

Why is the partition table 'msdos'? Is that correct?

Thanks!

yes, the partition table is of type "msdos" and it is correct, it is the most used partition table standard.

AS

[aguila]

thanks as.

I see the boot flag on the swap partition. That seems wrong, should I change that?

[AS]

thanks as.

I see the boot flag on the swap partition. That seems wrong, should I change that?

You can leave it as is, because it's not used from grub boot loader, it is eventually used from MS boot code whenever installed. 

[aguila]

thanks as.

I see the boot flag on the swap partition. That seems wrong, should I change that?

You can leave it as is, because it's not used from grub boot loader, it is eventually used from MS boot code whenever installed. 

never ever will this drive see Windblows installed. If by any chance I would need it it had to live inside a box, a Virtualbox

Thanks again as.

[DeBaas]

I found starting from scratch with Gparted as partition manager it defaults to the correct 4k allignement.
2cts
Ed

[Nish]

never ever will this drive see Windblows installed. If by any chance I would need it it had to live inside a box, a Virtualbox

Thanks again as.

Same here.  Mine is a small Samsung drive so it would make sense to give it to windows since I have so little there and use it so little.  What fun is that?  I almost did though when I had so much trouble getting trim to work. (Was my own fault I keep screwing around with fstab while playing with other installs too then had trouble following the directions for testing trim ) I had no problems partitioning, just used my gparted like I always do.  Haven't used diskdrak for partitioning since a little mandriva disaster.