>> One of the reasons why I don't like extended partitions is that
>> they work essentially using a linked list scheme, where the first
>> block in each extended partition is a partition table used to
>> describe the rest of the partition. It's a very fragile data
>> structure, and it's very easy to get corrupted.
>> If you must use them, I'd strongly suggest having copies of "fdisk
>> -l" and "fdisk -lu" safely stored away somewhere (say, taped
>> inside the computer chasis) so you can recover if the partition
>> table (or some part of it) gets smashed.
Before anybody complains, please note that I'm ASKING for information
here, not providing any...other than my [mis]understanding of what
actually happens...
>From what I've read, I gained the impression that there are in fact
TWO ways that the partition tables in an extended partition can be
used, but from Ted's comments above, that appears not to be the case.
Could I ask somebody to straighten me out on this please, and tell me
what I've got wrong...
1. An extended partition starts with its own partition table,
which, like tha master partition table, has four entries.
2. The way MSDOS uses this partition table is to put the limits
for a partition in the first entry, and then specify the rest
of that extended partition as being ANOTHER extended partition
in the fourth entry, with its own partition table at the
beginning, and to repeat the process until all space is
allocated.
3. An alternative way to handle extended partitions, which both
MSDOS and Win9x recognise, although neither creates, is to
use multiple entries in the base partition table for up to
three valid partitions (four if they fill the entire extended
partition) before allocating another extended partition to
deal with the rest of them.
Obviously, I've been stupid somewhere...
Best wishes from Riley.
--- * ftp://ftp.MemAlpha.cx/pub/rhw/Linux * http://www.MemAlpha.cx/~rhw/kernel.versions.html
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