[mythtv-users] OT: can't XFS format a new 4T disk

[Kingsley Turner]

On 20/01/14 14:27, Harry McGregor wrote:

 > On 1/19/14 8:25 PM, Kingsley Turner wrote:
>> *off-topic*
>>
>> I have a brand new 4T disk ready for my Myth video.  Western Digital
>> WD40E2RX
>>
>> I made a linux type partition with cfdisk, and wrote it.
>>
>> Trying to XFS format as per the MythTV Wiki gives an error warning
>> thing ~
>>
>>      # mkfs.xfs -l size=64m -d agcount=4 -i attr=2,maxpct=5 -L mythfs
>> /dev/sda1
>>      warning: device is not properly aligned /dev/sda1
>>      Use -f to force usage of a misaligned device
>>
>>  From what I've read (and there's scant reading available), xfs is
>> upset about the partition not being aligned to the physical sector
>> size.  But I don't understand what to actually _do_ about it.  Why
>> would cfdisk create such a misaligned partition in the first place?
>>
>> Partition Table for /dev/sda
>>
>>           ---Starting----      ----Ending-----    Start     Number of
>>   # Flags Head Sect  Cyl   ID  Head Sect  Cyl     Sector    Sectors
>> -- ----- ---- ---- ----- ---- ---- ---- ----- ----------- -----------
>>   1  0x00    1    1     0 0x83   80   63 486401          63 7814037105
>>
>> I have an external 4T disk, I'm 99% sure I did exactly the above
>> without issue.
>>

> Hi,
>
> You need to use parted (either command line, or gparted) to create the
> partition at 1MB offset.
>
> -Harry

Ah - got it:

cfdisk created a dodgey partition, with parted I could nuke, and remake it.

# parted
GNU Parted 2.3
Using /dev/sda
Welcome to GNU Parted! Type 'help' to view a list of commands.
(parted) print
Model: ATA WDC WD40EZRX-00S (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 4001GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: msdos

Number  Start   End     Size    Type     File system  Flags
  1      32.3kB  1802GB  1802GB  primary

(parted) rm 1
(parted) mkpart primary 0GB 4001GB
Error: partition length of 7814033408 sectors exceeds the 
msdos-partition-table-imposed maximum of 4294967295
(parted) mklabel gpt
Warning: The existing disk label on /dev/sda will be destroyed and all data 
on this disk will be lost. Do you want to continue?
Yes/No? yes
(parted) p
Model: ATA WDC WD40EZRX-00S (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 4001GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: gpt

Number  Start   End     Size    File system  Name     Flags
  1      1049kB  4001GB  4001GB               primary

(parted) align-check opt 1
1 aligned


many thanks,
-kt