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7.9 How to partition a 4GB drive

If you are going to use large drives (greater 2GB) you need to partition this drive (true at least for OS versions up to 4.0). These are the common ways to go without too much trouble and it provides an very easy way for 4GB drives under NS3.3.

1. Solution: disktab
   • If you need more than 3 partitions, you have to write a disktab entry! Using fdisk (Intel systems only) has no effect.
   • On how to write a disktab entry, read the NeXTanswers (search for partition)
   • other pointers are: 'scsimodes' and 'man disktab'.
2. Solution: installation on drive to partition
   • for Quantum drives the following is true: Quantum defines 1MB to be exactly 1.000.000 bytes. So if you are suited best by using 2 partitions on a Quantum Atlas 34300 (4.3GB drive-Quantum size, 4GB+5MB real size)
   • 2 partitions are automatically handled on all NS3.3 platforms
   • To easily install the drive by not writing a disktab entry do the following:
     • disconnect all other drives and connect the 4GB drive with ID 0
     • start a plain NS3.3 installation via disks and the CD-ROM
     • when the installation of files starts (text based output) you may break the procedure (the disk will get fsck'ed later) or wait until the system reboots and hangs :-) (no fsck needed then)
     • you should previously have read some line telling you: initializing sd0b
     • now reconnect your old boot drives and restart NEXTSTEP with the old boot drives. Switch the 4GB drive to a different ID.
     • Only the first partition of the 4GB drive will get mounted automatically, this is due to a documented bug in the automounter.
     • to permanently mount both partitions, add your drive partitions to the /etc/fstab file. Test mounting and umounting by hand first.
     • everything should work fine now after a second reboot, and if you set up your fstab file correctly, both partitions will get mounted.
   • To switch the boot partition to the new 4GB drive continue with:
     • only the first partition is bootable (you'll notice that by doing a ls -l on the mount entry --- there is the 't' file mode)
     • (cd / ; gnutar -clf -)|(cd <1.partition>; gnutar -xvpf -) This transfers your root partition to the new partition.
     • now try a boot from the new drive, by entering in the boot prompt: sd(x)mach_kernel (bsd for NeXT)

• (weiter mit 7.10 How to mount/ignore a disk during boot)