Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk

From	Dan Norton <dnorton@mindspring.com>
Newsgroups	linux.debian.user
Subject	Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk
Date	2017-12-05 22:50 +0100
Message-ID	<uTtgd-83A-7@gated-at.bofh.it> (permalink)
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On 12/04/2017 12:17 AM, David Christensen wrote:
> On 12/03/17 13:44, Dan Norton wrote:
>> On 12/02/2017 02:35 PM, David Christensen wrote:
>> I'm not making progress with this PC so I'll probably abandon GPT. 
>> The disk is 1T and it was handled by the extended partition scheme 
>> before this experiment and it probably can again. I still want to do 
>> LVM and multiboot a few systems though.
>

[...]

>
> When I mount /dev/sda1, I see:
>
> # mount -o ro /dev/sda1 /mnt/sda1
>
> # mount | grep /mnt/sda1
> /dev/sda1 on /mnt/sda1 type vfat 
> (ro,relatime,fmask=0022,dmask=0022,codepage=437,iocharset=ascii,shortname=mixed,utf8,errors=remount-ro)
>
> # df /dev/sda1
> Filesystem     1K-blocks  Used Available Use% Mounted on
> /dev/sda1         973952   188    973764   1% /mnt/sda1
>
> # tree -a /mnt/sda1
> /mnt/sda1
> `-- EFI
>     `-- debian
>         `-- grubx64.efi
>
> # ls -l /mnt/sda1/EFI/debian/grubx64.efi
> -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 178688 Dec  2 23:33 
> /mnt/sda1/EFI/debian/grubx64.efi
>
> # file /mnt/sda1/EFI/debian/grubx64.efi
> /mnt/sda1/EFI/debian/grubx64.efi: PE32+ executable (EFI application) 
> x86-64 (stripped to external PDB), for MS Windows
>
>
> I can run various LVM commands to confirm that d-i/partman did what I 
> told it to do.
>
>
> The next time I try this, I think I'll go the opposite extreme, feed a 
> blank disk to d-i, let partman automagically format the whole disk, 
> and see if GRUB installs, if the installation completes without error, 
> if the disk boots, and what the SSD contains.
>

This post is being sent from a fresh netinst:

dan@mydeb:~$ uname -v
#1 SMP Debian 3.16.43-2+deb8u5 (2017-09-19)

root@mydeb:/# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 931.5 GiB, 1000204886016 bytes, 1953525168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x29f6f73a

Device     Boot     Start       End   Sectors   Size Id Type
/dev/sda1  *         2048    976895    974848   476M ef EFI (FAT-12/16/32)
/dev/sda2          976896  16601087  15624192   7.5G 83 Linux
/dev/sda3        16603134 532223999 515620866 245.9G  5 Extended
/dev/sda5        16603136 141600767 124997632  59.6G 8e Linux LVM
/dev/sda6       141602816 266600447 124997632  59.6G 83 Linux
/dev/sda7       266602496 391600127 124997632  59.6G 83 Linux
/dev/sda8       391602176 516599807 124997632  59.6G 83 Linux
/dev/sda9       516601856 532223999  15622144   7.5G 82 Linux swap / Solaris

[...]

As you can see, the partitioning scheme is primary/logical. Needed to 
get some work done. I'm in the process of restoring stuff from backup, 
but at least the saved emails are OK.

The installer was involved in all partitioning. At the start of this 
thread and another, fdisk had been used to define sda1 and sda2. This 
time I tried not to over-think it.

First, manual partitioning in the installer was used to remove the LVs 
and VGs. Then the physical partitions were removed, resulting in 1TB 
free space (the whole disk). There were lots of false starts, but I 
learned that you can reboot the installer and run it repeated through 
partitioning and eventually get things corrected. I lost count. 
Partitioning dread subsided and I began to relax.

Next, primary partitions were defined for sda1 and sda2. Logical 
partitions for sda5-9. The installer automagically did sda3 Extended. 
When it complained that there was no EFI, sda1 was removed and the EFI 
put in its place.

Now you are looking at this and thinking, "Boy, that is really sloppy. 
Wasting disk space like that." That's OK, I don't mind. Obviously sda1 
is much bigger than needed and sda2 is not used at all but it boots 
*normally* at last. Onward to installing another Debian and I may try 
GPT again, too.

Many thanks for your help, everyone.

  - Dan

Thread

BIOS Can Not Find Disk Dan Norton <dnorton@mindspring.com> - 2017-12-01 20:00 +0100
  Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk "Thomas Schmitt" <scdbackup@gmx.net> - 2017-12-01 21:00 +0100
    Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Dan Norton <dnorton@mindspring.com> - 2017-12-02 19:30 +0100
      Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk "Thomas Schmitt" <scdbackup@gmx.net> - 2017-12-02 20:30 +0100
  Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk David Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com> - 2017-12-02 03:00 +0100
    Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Dan Norton <dnorton@mindspring.com> - 2017-12-02 05:10 +0100
      Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk David Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com> - 2017-12-02 20:40 +0100
        Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Dan Norton <dnorton@mindspring.com> - 2017-12-03 04:50 +0100
          Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Dan Norton <dnorton@mindspring.com> - 2017-12-04 00:40 +0100
          Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk David Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com> - 2017-12-04 06:20 +0100
            Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk David Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com> - 2017-12-04 06:30 +0100
              Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Dan Norton <dnorton@mindspring.com> - 2017-12-04 15:40 +0100
                Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk David Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com> - 2017-12-05 01:50 +0100
              Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2017-12-04 16:30 +0100
                Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk David Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com> - 2017-12-05 02:40 +0100
                Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk David Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com> - 2017-12-05 07:00 +0100
                Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2017-12-06 00:20 +0100
                Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk David Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com> - 2017-12-07 07:00 +0100
                Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2017-12-05 23:30 +0100
            Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Dan Norton <dnorton@mindspring.com> - 2017-12-05 22:50 +0100
        Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Dan Norton <dnorton@mindspring.com> - 2017-12-04 03:40 +0100
      Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Michael Lange <klappnase@freenet.de> - 2017-12-02 22:40 +0100
        Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> - 2017-12-03 00:20 +0100
          Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Michael Lange <klappnase@freenet.de> - 2017-12-03 00:40 +0100
            Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk deloptes <deloptes@gmail.com> - 2017-12-03 05:50 +0100
          Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2017-12-03 11:00 +0100
            Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> - 2017-12-03 12:50 +0100
              Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Dan Norton <dnorton@mindspring.com> - 2017-12-03 18:40 +0100
                Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> - 2017-12-03 19:10 +0100
                Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Dan Norton <dnorton@mindspring.com> - 2017-12-03 20:40 +0100
                Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2017-12-03 20:20 +0100
                Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Dan Norton <dnorton@mindspring.com> - 2017-12-03 22:00 +0100
                Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> - 2017-12-03 23:00 +0100
                Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2017-12-03 23:50 +0100
                Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> - 2017-12-04 00:50 +0100
                Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2017-12-05 00:50 +0100
                Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> - 2017-12-05 03:40 +0100
                Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2017-12-06 23:20 +0100
                Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> - 2017-12-07 00:10 +0100
                Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2017-12-07 21:50 +0100
                Re: (OT) BIOS Can Not Find Disk Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> - 2017-12-08 00:10 +0100
      Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2017-12-03 11:10 +0100
        Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Dan Norton <dnorton@mindspring.com> - 2018-02-21 04:10 +0100
          Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2018-02-21 23:20 +0100
            Re: BIOS Can Not Find Disk Dan Norton <dnorton@mindspring.com> - 2018-02-22 02:20 +0100

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