[ltp] maximum supported harddisk size for T42 and T23

Martin Steigerwald linux-thinkpad@linux-thinkpad.org
Thu, 22 Nov 2007 20:33:20 +0100


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Am Donnerstag 22 November 2007 schrieb Karel Podvolecky:
> Hi,

Hi!

>   generally I think it's not a BIOS who in fact limits maximum drive
> size. It's interface itself.
> EIDE interface has 137GB limit. Newer EIDE ( I think ATA-7 specs)
> supports LBA48 addressing which supports much larger capacities than
> todays disks can reach.
>
> To investigate, run 'hdparm -I /dev/hda' and look if there is line:
> "48-bit Address feature set" with star mark (*). If not, you have limit
> 137GB drive (so 120GB drive should be fine).
>
> And to BIOS stuff:
> BIOS can limit capacity only to boot an OS. After linux kernel loads,
> it loads it's own EIDE (PATA) driver, which isn't depend on BIOS, so
> you can see all capacity supported by interface. In this case, there
> may be problems with identification of partitions in newer computer,
> because it has different CHS used to create them, but if you use it
> only in your notebook, it should be fine. And little 1024 cylinder
> warning: I suggest you to create first partition as /boot, so BIOS can
> see it.

Thanks to everyone for their answers!

I am not that much into limits on the PC architecture as I come from the=20
Amiga originally. Well there has been limits as well but they were raised=20
considerably which each step. OFS was unusable for harddisks bigger 30MB=20
I think, then there as a 4GB (32 bit) limit, then I think there also has=20
been a 137 MB limit and I am not absolutely sure whether this has been=20
resolved, but I think so.

Ciao,
=2D-=20
Martin 'Helios' Steigerwald - http://www.Lichtvoll.de
GPG: 03B0 0D6C 0040 0710 4AFA  B82F 991B EAAC A599 84C7

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