topic Re: linux can't create partition larger than 1,7TB in Operating System - Linux

linux can't create partition larger than 1,7TB

Radoslaw Klimek — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:06:49 GMT

I install Red Hat 4.6 and I cant create partition larger than 1,7TB. Instalation of hp drivers doesn't help. I try to install red hat 5 and I have same problem.
HP DL180 G5

Re: linux can't create partition larger than 1,7TB

Matti_Kurkela — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:31:10 GMT

You're hitting the largest possible size of a traditional PC partition. This is not a problem of the OS, but of the MBR partition table structure.

The MBR was designed for the original IBM PC/AT back in 1980s and it is now reaching its ultimate limits. It's time to replace it with something else.

You have two options: either start using GPT style partitioning, or set up LVM using the whole disk(s). Both options will allow you to allocate very large blocks of storage.
The system disk must still use traditional MBR partitioning, because the BIOS won't understand any of the newer techniques.

LVM is a little more complex, but allows your "partitions" to span multiple physical disks or RAID sets, and allows you to enlarge partitions without unmounting them.

To use GPT, you must partition your disk with a partitioning program that understands the newer GPT style. The old "*fdisk" programs cannot do this; "parted" can. When using parted, begin with the command "mklabel gpt". That will switch the disk to the new style. (Warning: all existing data on the disk will be lost!)

There is a lot of information on Linux LVM on the net. For example, see the LVM HOWTO:
http://tldp.org/HOWTO/LVM-HOWTO/

(Remember that the HOWTO is written to cover the installation of the LVM system from scratch: if you use RedHat, all the components are already present, you don't need to compile anything. You can completely ignore chapters 5 - 10 of the HOWTO.)

MK

Re: linux can't create partition larger than 1,7TB

Mike Stroyan — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:35:06 GMT

It sounds like you have created an msdos disklabel. That has a max partition size about where you describe it. Try using parted to do "mklabel gpt" on the disk. (It will destroy all partitions on the disk.)

Re: linux can't create partition larger than 1,7TB

dirk dierickx — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 06:35:56 GMT

i would opt to use LVM, it is really an elegant solution.

Re: linux can't create partition larger than 1,7TB

Uwe Zessin — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:49:03 GMT

The maximum size is 2 TeraBytes ((2^32)-1) blocks, not 1.7 TeraBytes.