FAT32 formatting?

[Li Gwai Lo]

I tried formatting a 120GB FAT32 partition with Knoppix3.3's mkfs.vfat (which then calls mkdosfs, I think) and later with mkdosfs too, for a dual-boot machine. However, both of these returned within about ten seconds, clearly without having formatted the partition.

Do these tools not work under Knoppix? Or are they limited like Microsoft's tools are?? (FAT32 can theoretically handle up to a few terabytes, but Microsloth's versions under Win2K and WinXP are deliberately limited to 32GB. Under Win95/98, the FDISK program has a rollover problem with drives over 70GB -- they think an 80GB drive only has about 11GB, and a 120GB drive has just 51GB.)

BTW, I also tried PartitionMagic, which was royally screwed up. Yes, I used it "correctly"; no, it doesn't work. :-(

Can anyone recommend a set of (free) tools that will let me format the whole drive as one giant partition?

Thanks, LGL

[Cuddles]

I guess I'll try this one out...

I have Knoppix 3.3, and I only have a 41 gig HD, so this may not help, considering I haven't hit the "high end" yet.

But, does CFDisk allow you to "see" the full drive? Can cfdisk break the drive into smaller partitions? I am just thinking that cfdisk comes with the 3.3 CD, so, if this hasn't already been tried, it is a tool already in your arsenal. (from what I hear though, cfdisk would be used to break-down the drive into smaller partitions, one being a FAT, and afterwords, using a Windoze recovery disk to format its own partition is best. A big thing I've heard here is, let each OS format its own partitions, at least)

Considering that, someday, I am probably going to be up to around this sizable hard drive, this issue is of interest to me too, and I am very surprised that Linux hasn't already "anticipated" this situation. (not really surprised that M$ hasn't, just considering M$ in general, that is.)

Just some thoughts, probably lame, but thoughts none the less,
Cuddles

[Stephen]

Considering that, someday, I am probably going to be up to around this sizable hard drive, this issue is of interest to me too, and I am very surprised that Linux hasn't already "anticipated" this situation. (not really surprised that M$ hasn't, just considering M$ in general, that is.)


Cuddles

Linux will partition and format a 120gb dirve for it's own use fine I believe IIRC that you get problems around 160gb if your BIOS does not support the LBA48 addressing that is needed.


HappyTux:/home/stephen# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 1 62 497983+ 82 Linux swap
/dev/hda2 * 63 670 4883760 83 Linux
/dev/hda3 671 1886 9767520 83 Linux
/dev/hda4 1887 14593 102068977+ 5 Extended
/dev/hda5 1887 7965 48829536 83 Linux
/dev/hda6 7966 14593 53239378+ 83 Linux

Disk /dev/hdb: 40.0 GB, 40037760000 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4867 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdb1 1 32 257008+ 82 Linux swap
/dev/hdb2 * 33 640 4883760 83 Linux
/dev/hdb3 641 1856 9767520 83 Linux
/dev/hdb4 1857 4867 24185857+ 83 Linux

[windos_no_thanks]

Linux will partition and format a 120gb dirve for it's own use fine I believe IIRC that you get problems around 160gb if your BIOS does not support the LBA48 addressing that is needed.

I'm running a 200GB disk right now, the BIOS in my box doesn't get the size of it right but since the root partition is in the "visible" area lilo manages to start the kernel anyway. The kernel recognizes the size correctly, no problems so far. :-)

[Stephen]

I'm running a 200GB disk right now, the BIOS in my box doesn't get the size of it right but since the root partition is in the "visible" area lilo manages to start the kernel anyway. The kernel recognizes the size correctly, no problems so far. :-)

Ah! just like my 40gb used to be in my old machine I could only see 32 from the bios and had to set a jumper to tell it so to boot with the drive but linux could see the rest.