Having file system problems:

English Install/Boot/Login
#1

First of all thanks for at least reading this, and hopefully you can find what I did wrong and help me fix all this. I’m new to Linux so go easy on me. I’m using openSUSE 11.1 as the host OS for VWware Workstation 6.5.2.

What I’m trying to do:
1 - create seperate drives for different purposes from two 500GB drives using RAID 0
2 - 400GB - standard Ext3 drive for Home Files
3 - 200GB - NTFS drive so Linux and Windows can read from it
4 - 300GB - standard Ext3 drive to store VMware files
5 - mount a external USB drive to backup all the drives from Linux or Windows XP

Problems I’m having
1 - I can’t understand how to load or use NTFS-3G to convert or create the 200GB NTFS drive (it’s FAT now)
2 - the 200GB drive is now FAT and I can copy files to it and read files from it, but I can not edit files on it. If I open a MS Word document from it and try to save back to it, I get an “out of memory” error. I can save it to another drive and then copy it to the FAT drive. What is with that???
3 - looking at the output of fdisk -l I have errors, How do I fix all these errors? How bad are they? How did they get there?

[li]Host-OS:~ # fdisk -l
[/li][li]Warning: ignoring extra data in partition table 6
[/li][li]Warning: ignoring extra data in partition table 6
[/li][li]Warning: ignoring extra data in partition table 6
[/li][li]Warning: invalid flag 0x7274 of partition table 6 will be corrected by w(rite)
[/li]
[li]Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
[/li][li]255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
[/li][li]Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
[/li][li]Disk identifier: 0x000e696d
[/li]
[li] Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
[/li][li]/dev/sda1 * 1 121601 976760001 f W95 Ext’d (LBA)
[/li][li]/dev/sda5 1 9 72229+ 83 Linux
[/li][li]/dev/sda6 ? 87099 206632 960147890+ 6c Unknown
[/li]
[li]Disk /dev/sdb: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
[/li][li]255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
[/li][li]Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
[/li][li]Disk identifier: 0x00000000
[/li]
[li]Disk /dev/sdb doesn’t contain a valid partition table
[/li]
[li]Disk /dev/dm-0: 1000.2 GB, 1000210432000 bytes
[/li][li]255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders
[/li][li]Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
[/li][li]Disk identifier: 0x000e696d
[/li]
[li] Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
[/li][li]/dev/dm-0p1 * 1 121601 976760001 f W95 Ext’d (LBA)
[/li][li]/dev/dm-0p5 1 9 72229+ 83 Linux
[/li][li]/dev/dm-0p6 10 271 2104483+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
[/li][li]/dev/dm-0p7 272 2882 20972826 83 Linux
[/li][li]/dev/dm-0p8 2883 56144 427826983+ 83 Linux
[/li][li]/dev/dm-0p9 56145 82254 209720542 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
[/li][li]/dev/dm-0p10 82254 121548 315629055 83 Linux
[/li][li]omitting empty partition (6)
[/li]
[li]Disk /dev/dm-1: 1000.2 GB, 1000202241024 bytes
[/li][li]255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121600 cylinders
[/li][li]Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
[/li][li]Disk identifier: 0x00000000
[/li]
[li] Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
[/li][li]/dev/dm-1p1 1 9 72229+ 83 Linux
[/li][li]/dev/dm-1p2 9 271 2104515 5 Extended
[/li][li]/dev/dm-1p5 10 271 2104483+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
[/li]
[li]Disk /dev/dm-2: 73 MB, 73963008 bytes
[/li][li]255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 8 cylinders
[/li][li]Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
[/li][li]Disk identifier: 0x00000000
[/li]
[li]Disk /dev/dm-2 doesn’t contain a valid partition table
[/li]
[li]Disk /dev/dm-3: 2154 MB, 2154991104 bytes
[/li][li]255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 261 cylinders
[/li][li]Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
[/li][li]Disk identifier: 0x00000000
[/li]
[li]Disk /dev/dm-3 doesn’t contain a valid partition table
[/li]
[li]Disk /dev/dm-4: 21.4 GB, 21476173824 bytes
[/li][li]255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2610 cylinders
[/li][li]Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
[/li][li]Disk identifier: 0x00000000
[/li]
[li]Disk /dev/dm-4 doesn’t contain a valid partition table
[/li]
[li]Disk /dev/dm-5: 438.0 GB, 438094831104 bytes
[/li][li]255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 53261 cylinders
[/li][li]Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
[/li][li]Disk identifier: 0x00000000
[/li]
[li]Disk /dev/dm-5 doesn’t contain a valid partition table
[/li]
[li]Disk /dev/dm-6: 214.7 GB, 214753835008 bytes
[/li][li]255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 26108 cylinders
[/li][li]Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
[/li][li]Disk identifier: 0x00000000
[/li]
[li] Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
[/li]
[li]Disk /dev/dm-7: 323.2 GB, 323204152320 bytes
[/li][li]255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 39294 cylinders
[/li][li]Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
[/li][li]Disk identifier: 0x00000000
[/li]
[li]Disk /dev/dm-7 doesn’t contain a valid partition table
[/li][*]Host-OS:~ #

#2

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First problem, unless I’m significantly mistaken, it looks like your
partitioning on /dev/sda is munged. If you can recreate it, but if not
the problem appears to be that /dev/sda1 and /dev/sda5 overlap (notice how
both start at block 1 and the first goes to block 121601 (probably about
right for 200 GB) while the second only goes to block 9). Normally this
should not happen. Also /dev/sda6 also overlaps with /dev/sda1 as it
starts at 87099 and, even more, has a partition type of Unknown.
Regardless of how you setup this drive, don’t do it that way again. :slight_smile:

Another point that made me wonder was where you asked about ntfs-3g
converting the partition type. While it MAY be able to do that I would
highly recommend doing that conversion from within windows.

Good luck.

bobcal2000 wrote:
> First of all thanks for at least reading this, and hopefully you can
> find what I did wrong and help me fix all this. I’m new to Linux so go
> easy on me. I’m using openSUSE 11.1 as the host OS for VWware
> Workstation 6.5.2.
>
> What I’m trying to do:
> 1 - create seperate drives for different purposes from two 500GB
> drives using RAID 0
> 2 - 400GB - standard Ext3 drive for Home Files
> 3 - 200GB - NTFS drive so Linux and Windows can read from it
> 4 - 300GB - standard Ext3 drive to store VMware files
> 5 - mount a external USB drive to backup all the drives from Linux or
> Windows XP
>
> Problems I’m having
> 1 - I can’t understand how to load or use NTFS-3G to convert or
> create the 200GB NTFS drive (it’s FAT now)
> 2 - the 200GB drive is now FAT and I can copy files to it and read
> files from it, but I can not edit files on it. If I open a MS Word
> document from it and try to save back to it, I get an “out of memory”
> error. I can save it to another drive and then copy it to the FAT
> drive. What is with that???
> 3 - looking at the output of fdisk -l I have errors, How do I fix all
> these errors? How bad are they? How did they get there?
>
>
>
>
> Host-OS:~ # fdisk -l
> Warning: ignoring extra data in partition table 6
> Warning: ignoring extra data in partition table 6
> Warning: ignoring extra data in partition table 6
> Warning: invalid flag 0x7274 of partition table 6 will be corrected
> by w(rite)
>
> Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0x000e696d
>
> Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
> /dev/sda1 * 1 121601 976760001 f W95 Ext’d
> (LBA)
> /dev/sda5 1 9 72229+ 83 Linux
> /dev/sda6 ? 87099 206632 960147890+ 6c Unknown
>
> Disk /dev/sdb: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0x00000000
>
> Disk /dev/sdb doesn’t contain a valid partition table
>
> Disk /dev/dm-0: 1000.2 GB, 1000210432000 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0x000e696d
>
> Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
> /dev/dm-0p1 * 1 121601 976760001 f W95 Ext’d
> (LBA)
> /dev/dm-0p5 1 9 72229+ 83 Linux
> /dev/dm-0p6 10 271 2104483+ 82 Linux swap
> / Solaris
> /dev/dm-0p7 272 2882 20972826 83 Linux
> /dev/dm-0p8 2883 56144 427826983+ 83 Linux
> /dev/dm-0p9 56145 82254 209720542 c W95 FAT32
> (LBA)
> /dev/dm-0p10 82254 121548 315629055 83 Linux
> omitting empty partition (6)
>
> Disk /dev/dm-1: 1000.2 GB, 1000202241024 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121600 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0x00000000
>
> Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
> /dev/dm-1p1 1 9 72229+ 83 Linux
> /dev/dm-1p2 9 271 2104515 5 Extended
> /dev/dm-1p5 10 271 2104483+ 82 Linux swap
> / Solaris
>
> Disk /dev/dm-2: 73 MB, 73963008 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 8 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0x00000000
>
> Disk /dev/dm-2 doesn’t contain a valid partition table
>
> Disk /dev/dm-3: 2154 MB, 2154991104 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 261 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0x00000000
>
> Disk /dev/dm-3 doesn’t contain a valid partition table
>
> Disk /dev/dm-4: 21.4 GB, 21476173824 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2610 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0x00000000
>
> Disk /dev/dm-4 doesn’t contain a valid partition table
>
> Disk /dev/dm-5: 438.0 GB, 438094831104 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 53261 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0x00000000
>
> Disk /dev/dm-5 doesn’t contain a valid partition table
>
> Disk /dev/dm-6: 214.7 GB, 214753835008 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 26108 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0x00000000
>
> Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
>
> Disk /dev/dm-7: 323.2 GB, 323204152320 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 39294 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0x00000000
>
> Disk /dev/dm-7 doesn’t contain a valid partition table
> Host-OS:~ #
>
>
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#3

Thanks for responding so quickly.

/dev/sda is part of a Hardware RAID 0 set along with /dev/sdb. The hardware controller says the RAID is fine. I’m not saying you are wrong but my understanding is, because all data is half on each drive, if one were damaged the RAID would stop working. If I’m wrong tell me so.

I used YaST’s Expert Partitioner to create all the partitions. Looking in Expert Partitioner the partions are as follows:

/dev/sda&b Part1 0 - 121600 physical drives
/dev/boot Part5 0 - 8 70MB Ext3
/dev/swap Part6 9 - 270 2GB Swap
/dev/ Part7 271 - 2881 20GB Ext3
/dev/Home Part8 2882 - 56143 409GB Ext3
/dev/Files Part9 56144 - 82253 200GB FAT
/dev/VMFiles Part10 82253 -121547 300GB Ext3

Questions:
1 - Why are these values different than fdisk -l ???
2 - do they need to be the same?
3 - how do I make them the same?

About ntfs-3g - I followed the instructions on the ntfs-3g web site and its loaded in Linux. Tell me the proper way to make it work.

Questions:
1 - How do I tell if ntfs-3g is loaded?
2 - If I use MS Windows to convert it, will Linux still see it?
3 - If my Linux could see NTFS shouldn’t it see my external USB drive?

Thanks!

#4

I can’t help with raid.

“fdisk -l” is just one way of displaying the information of detected partitions. Another way of displaying the information of mounted (ie a subset of detected) partitions is “df -Th”. Note Linux is case sensitive.

For NTFS the ntfs-3g driver is installed by default in openSUSE-11.1 Linux. Note that you MUST unmount your NTFS drives properly under MS-Windoze for them to be seen under Linux with the ntfs-3g driver (if force function is not used). If they were not unmounted properly under Windoze, you need to boot Windoze again, and plug in the drives, and then remove them properly (using the Windoze lower right icon method for removing drives). If the external drives have a problem, you may need to run a Windoze “chkdsk /f” on them (or something like that, I do not know Windoze syntax off the top of my head).

Take a look at the openSUSE ntfs page: NTFS - openSUSE

One of the 1st things I do after a fresh openSUSE-11.1 install, on a PC that has an NTFS partition, is edit the /etc/fstab entry for that drive, replacing the fmask from 133 to 113! … and I change dmask to dmask=002, although I read a post from Swerdna who told me that was not necessary.

Linux CAN see your external NTFS hard drives. I have 4 external hard drives formatted as NTFS and I can read/write to them with no problem. BUT I ALWAYS unmount them properly, under both Linux and MS-Windoze.

Note also if you hibernate windoze, and do not do a full/proper reboot, Linux will NOT be able to access the Windoze drives.

#5

Let me say that differently …

If you hibernate Windoze (and exit Windoze with it hibernated), then Linux will not be able to access with read/write your Windoze NTFS partitions.