News Group Posts

fixing disk geometry

See /SCOFAQ/scotec6.html#drivegeom1

From: Bela Lubkin <belal@sco.com>
Subject: Re: Stage 1 Boot failure
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 08:41:45 GMT
References: <680e517b.0308110705.2cdc3ebe@posting.google.com>
<20030811224352.GE24551@sco.com>
<680e517b.0308112342.6e02d05@posting.google.com> 

Staffan Wikman wrote:

> Bela Lubkin <belal@sco.com> wrote in message news:<20030811224352.GE24551@sco.com>...
> > Staffan Wikman wrote:
> > 
> > > I get Stage 1 boot failure when I have installed Open Server 5.0.7 on
> > > a HP EVO N610c with an IBM Travelstar hard-disk, model 1C25N030ATCS05
> > 
> > Searching for that model number on ibm.com, and on google, comes up with
> > nothing.  Please describe the disk -- what interface (probably IDE), how
> > big?
> > 
> > ... Ok, I think I found it:
> > 
> >   http://www.hgst.com/hdd/travel/tr40gn.htm
> > 
> > Part number is "IC25N030ATCS04"; that's the closest that seems to exist.
> > 
> > So it's a 30GB IDE drive.
> > 
> > > I have undeerstood tha it could be a problem with the biosgeom. I wen
> > > to the tech. sepc. for the disk and tried to find out what the cyl,
> > > heads and sectors/track for this disk should be but I does not succed
> > > 
> > > I am using the logical layout which says 16 heads, 16 383 cyls and 63
> > > sectors/track
> > > 
> > > But it does not help
> > 
> > What do you mean "using the logical layout"?  If you're talking about a
> > BIOS setup option, tell us what options it offers (and, if it shows
> > them, what geometries they correspond to).  If you're talking about a
> > switch on the disk itself, tell us what choices are available.
> > 
> > A geometry of 16 heads, 63 sectors/track, 16383 cylinders describes a
> > disk of about 8GB size, much smaller than your 30GB drive.
> > 
> > > I already have Open Server 5.0.6 installed on a similiar disk,
> > > 1C25N020ATCS04 where I can compare the values of biosgeom in the
> > > bootphase. It says 1022, 240, 63
> > 
> > That also describes about an 8GB disk.
> > 
> > > One strange thing is that when I start the installation of 5.0.7 i get
> > > a message in the boot phase (from the CD)
> > > 
> > > %disk ............... cyls=41344 hds=15 secs=63
> > 
> > That describes about a 20GB disk.  Was this on the "N020" (20GB) or
> > "N030" (30GB) disk?  It's a sensible set of parameters for a 20GB disk.
> > 
> > > Does anybody know how to get the correct values for the biosgeom
> > > command
> > 
> > Most likely, by changing something in BIOS setup.  Most BIOSes offer
> > choices that affect disk geometry.  Sometimes they show you the
> > resulting geometry, sometimes not.  If you can see the geometries in
> > BIOS setup, tell us what choices it offers there.  If you only have
> > opaquely named choices like "Compatible" vs. "Large", try each one.
> > Make a change in BIOS setup, then boot the OSR507 CD, hit return at the
> > boot prompt (no special bootstring), and write down the geometry
> > reported by the "%disk" line.  Post the list here and we should be able
> > to tell you which is your best bet.
> > 
> > >Bela<
> 
> 
> I am sorry if I was unclear when I described the problem. This is the
> situation
> 
> I am using a COMPAQ notebook, model EVO N610c with various buil-in
> hard-disks.
> 
> Either an IBM Travelstar 30 GB disk
> model number "IC25N030ATCS04-0"
> On this disk I have previously installed SCO Open Server 5.0.6
> successfully
> When I boot this system up i get the following info regarding the disk
> 
> .
> .
> .
> name=disk base=0x1F0 offset=0x7 vec=14 dma=- type=W0 unit=0 cyls=62016
> hds=15 secs=63
> .
> .
> 
> I have also an IBM Travelstar 20 GB disk (at least it is printed 20.00
> GB on the disk)
> model number "IC25N020ATCS05-0"
> It is also printed (16383 CYL, 16HEADS, 63 SEC/T) on the disk

Ignore the geometry printed on the drive.  That is a standard set of
numbers that is printed on all drives these days, and has nothing to do
with the actual drives.  It's just the largest set of parameters that
are sure to work with ancient computers and OSes (and give you 8GB of
space, no matter how big the drive is).

> If I try to install SCO Open Server 5.0.7 on this disk everythinh
> works fine al the way until I try to boot from the hard-disk, then I
> got the boot error message
> 
> During the installation of teh new OS (5.0.7) from the CD I get teh
> following information about the disk
> 
> %disk ............... cyls=41344 hds=15 secs=63
> 
> I supose 41344 should be used in some way
> 
> There is no way to change disk geometry in the bios setup nore on the
> disk physically by jumpers or so

Summarizing my guesses about what you're trying to say:

  - you previously had OSR506 installed on the 20GB drive

  - you've never tried 506 on the 30GB drive

  - with both 20GB and 30GB drives, OSR507 installs perfectly but will
    not reboot from the hard disk after ISL is complete

If this is all correct, I can offer you two solutions.  One is to do a
complete reinstall, starting the install with:

  Boot
  : defbootstr biosgeom

The other solution is a little more complicated to explain, but fixes
your existing install.  To do that, boot the OSR507 CD with:

  Boot
  : tools

Tell it you want a shell prompt.  The prompt reads "<Installation>", but
I'm going to pretend it's a standard root prompt of "#".  Once you have
the prompt, take the CD out, then do this:

  # mount -r /dev/hd0root /mnt
  # chroot /mnt /bin/sh
  # cd /dev
  # echo 17a/h 10 | _fst -w rhd00 -
  # dparam rhd00 `dparam rhd00`        <--- backquotes
  # reboot

Be careful about '0' digits vs. 'o' letters.  There are no uppercase 'O'
letters.  All slashes are '/' forward-slashes.

It should reboot successfully from the hard disk.

### Note to future dejanews readers: the above is a patch that applies
### _only_ to OSR507, with or without OSR507MP1, _without_ OSR507UP1.
### OSR507UP1 patches the same problem in a different way and would be
### damaged (made unbootable) by this patch.  Systems running earlier
### or later releases of OSR5, later updates of OSR507, or the soon-to-
### be-released >137GB IDE BTLD, should not use this patch.  Quick test:
###
###   echo 2/x | _fst /dev/rhd00 -
###
### if the output is "17a" then the patch applies.

>Bela<

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