fdisk in small linux will not recognize partitions made by FIPS in DOS

linuxnovo · 03-06-2009, 10:50 AM

I am trying to do a dual boot of DOS and Small Linux on my old laptop with only 4mg RAM and 160mg in the hard drive. I used FIPS to partition my /dev/hda1 and verified that it was partitioned by using FIPS in -t test mode. The partition table stated that DOS was reduced to /dev/hda1. I ran SCANDISK on the DOS reduced /dev/hda1 and all was as it should be. /dev/hda1 was reduced and /dev/hda2 created.

I then loaded the Small Linux into the RAM via floppy disk and obtained the Linux prompt. I issued the command, fdisk /dev/hda. When I issued the p command to obtain the partition table. It had the original table with only the full DOS in /dev/hda1 and no /dev/hda2. I attempted to create hda2 and there was of course no free memory. I went into x, expert mode and issued the c command to change the cylinders in hda1 to conform with the DOS/FIPS partition table. It would not allow this. Of course, any attempt to address /dev/hda2, gave the error message, /dev/hda2 not created yet.

Does anyone have an ideas how to move forward. I need the /dev/hda2 to load the linux and linx swap?

rkelsen · 03-07-2009, 04:11 AM

Whoa! Now there's a blast from the past!

Did you defragment the drive before running FIPS? Any data NEAR the end of the partition will prevent it from being resized.

Do you have the DOS diskettes? If so, I'd recommend wiping the disk and starting from scratch. Partitions created with FIPS were always problematic.

linuxnovo · 03-08-2009, 01:41 PM

Thanks for the comment, Rkelsen. Yes, I ran both scandisk and defraged many times. The partition was easily and clearly made in dos by FIPS. Fdisk in linux just doesn't seem to be using the same partition table. I really can't reload everything because I don't have the dos in any form. I cannot backup because I only have a floppy disk. The Dos 6.XX is over 6 mgs. There must be away to make fdisk use the same partition table as FIPS in Dos. Perhaps, someone out there has some idea. In terms of the flash of the Past, I am trying to put some form of Linux on every machine that I have. Except an old laptop with only the standard 640K. Thanks again......

thorkelljarl · 03-08-2009, 05:01 PM

I thought of this...

What about using freedos to make that DOS partition in the hopes that it is both acceptable as DOS and recognizable to fdisk in linux?

You do not have a copy of DOS, but freedos might serve as well for your needs, although I believe that MS-DOS 6.2 can be downloaded legally.

Why did you install, or did you install DOS on all of the HDD in the beginning?

Hope this helps. http://www.freedos.org/

syg00 · 03-08-2009, 05:49 PM

What does "fdisk -l" produce ?. Do you have either hexdump or od on that Linux system - if so try one of these and post the output

Code:

dd if=/dev/hda skip=446 bs=1 count=66 | od -x
dd if=/dev/hda skip=446 bs=1 count=66 | hexdump -C

caveat - I have never used FIPS

rkelsen · 03-08-2009, 08:08 PM

+1 for FreeDOS.

Quote:

Originally Posted by thorkelljarl

...although I believe that MS-DOS 6.2 can be downloaded legally.

Only in upgrade form. It is of no use without an existing DOS installation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxnovo

The partition was easily and clearly made in dos by FIPS. Fdisk in linux just doesn't seem to be using the same partition table.

This is covered in the FIPS FAQ:

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIPS FAQ

"Q11. FIPS seems to work fine, and DOS sees the new partition, but Linux
fdisk sees only one partition.

A11.
----

Somehow DOS loads a different partition table than the one in the master
boot record.

There are two possible causes:

1. You use a device driver like OnTrack Disk Manager. See the file
SPECIAL.DOC

2. You have a virus in the master boot record. This does not happen often,
but it is quite possible. Some viruses install themselves in the MBR and
copy the original MBR to some other place. When DOS tries to access the
partition table, the virus intercepts the BIOS call and returns the backup
copy, in order to hide from possible detection. Check this with a virus
scanner after booting from a clean DOS boot disk. You can remove a virus
from the MBR by using DOS fdisk with the /mbr option, but be aware that
in this case the 'backup' partition table is not restored. Thus the boot
sector will contain the new info as changed by FIPS, but the partition table
will contain the original (single partition) setup. This inconsistency
must be corrected (e.g. with a disk editor)."

thorkelljarl · 03-08-2009, 09:03 PM

I also remembered...

You can get a DOS boot disk with a copy of the partitioning tool fdisk(Windows) from http://www.bootdisk.com/. It should be clean of any infection.

Otherwise, Parted Magic of GParted live-cds should partition FAT16.