Re: Sector size 2068?? Can I even access this in Linux??

H. Peter Anvin (hpa@transmeta.com)
23 Aug 1998 10:11:18 GMT

Followup to: <199808231003.SAA14205@terrorist.math.ntu.edu.tw>
By author: getlkl@terrorist.math.ntu.edu.tw
In newsgroup: linux.dev.kernel
>
> The problem is that the install process hangs when trying to
> probe the SCSI bus. When I try to look at the messages, I realise a
> kernel panic has taken place because the Elite 9 uses a sector/block
> size of 2068 (?!) and the kernel is unable to access it.
>
> Is anyone else using an Elite 9 and can someone supply a way
> around the problem. This is driving me nuts ...
>

If you don't have data you need on that Elite 9, do a full low-level
format of the drive. The 2068-byte-sector mode appears to be a "undocumented"
feature of Elite 9 which Seagate won't admit to, and non-power-of-2
sectors isn't exactly easy to support in Linux (understatement.)

However, the kernel shouldn't panic... it probably should set the disk
size to 0 in its tables, to allow the disk to be opened only to do a
format ioctl.

-hpa

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