[rescue] fx a large drive under IRIX 6.5 (resolution)

Sheldon T. Hall shel at cmhcsys.com
Thu Jan 29 09:49:32 CST 2004


OK, I fixed the disks by formatting them on a PC.  fx is happy, I'm happy.

To review the bidding, here's what happened:

I get terminally annoyed about the lack of disk space around here.

I buy a "lot" of 10 Fujitsu 18-GB SCA disks on eBay.

Disks arrive, I put 3 of them, with proper adapters, in sleds for my SGI
Challenge.

Install the disks, try to fx them, and fx craps out.

Ask the list.  "Check the sector size, dude!" is the majority opinion.  At
least the one expressed.  The silent majority probably thinks I'm a bozo.

"Yeah, OK, 516 instead of 512 bytes per sector, now what?"

"sformat, dude!"

I obtain and install sformat, it's for the wrong architecture.  I obtain
another build, it gives seemingly bogus displays and I can't make it change
the sector size.  I obtain a third build, which has the same problems.

I root through my deep-storage area, find an old PC, a bootable Adaptec
card, and other PC parts.  I assemble a PC.

I use the BIOS-level formatting utility on the Adaptec card to format the
disks.

I re-install the disks in the Challenge.

Voila.

-Shel



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