can't write to partition table

ancientscribble · 01-19-2010, 03:41 AM

I am currently running Linux Mint 8 on a Thinkpad T60p and I decided to free up 20 GB, formatted to EXT4 for Slackware. (used G-Parted)

I was able to install Slackware with VirtualBox with my Linux Mint host and I was able to follow through with a full installation without any problems.

However when I tried to install it on a real partition I got the below notification:

"You will not be able to write the partition table.
Note: Sector size is 2048 (not 512)
Device contains neither a valid DOS partition table, nor Sun, SGI or OSF disklabel.
Building a new disklabel with disk identifier 0xf4252222.

Changes will remain in memory only, until you decide to write them.
After that, of course, the previous content won't be recoverable.

Warning: Invalid flag 0x0000 of partition table will be corrected by (w)rite"

If you know what I am missing I would appreciate a push in the right direction. Thanks in advance.

brianL · 01-19-2010, 04:01 AM

You should have left the free space unallocated. Delete the partition, then use cfdisk to create the partition, and do the formatting during the Slackware installation.

dracuss · 01-19-2010, 04:04 AM

maybe you should try to use the good-old EXT3? You don't know what FS support is included in the slackware kernel

brianL · 01-19-2010, 04:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dracuss

maybe you should try to use the good-old EXT3? You don't know what FS support is included in the slackware kernel

Yes we do, ext4 is certainly supported.

hughetorrance · 01-19-2010, 08:33 AM

You can use test disk a utility found on the parted magic disc to restore your former partition table and then gparted to start again... if you are not familiar with cfdisk ?

brianL · 01-19-2010, 08:36 AM

Why use anything else, when everything you need is on the Slackware install DVD?

ancientscribble · 01-19-2010, 12:21 PM

Okay so I left the unallocated space alone. However both cfdisk and fdisk still claim I can't write the partitions.
I did not get this message when I installed it in a virtual machine, so it's the only thing throwing me off.

brianL · 01-20-2010, 05:40 AM

Don't know what the problem is there.
The only time I had trouble with cfdisk was when I entered cfdisk instead of cfdisk /dev/sda.
Hopefully, somebody who knows more than me will read this thread.

gbonvehi · 01-21-2010, 01:11 AM

Quick questions:
- How are your devices setup (/dev/sdX etc)? You can know this by reading dmesg | less
- How are you running cfdisk?
- How is your disk partitioned?