Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!wugate!uunet!bcstec!jsadler
From: jsadler@bcstec.UUCP (Jim Sadler)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: Would you believe...
Keywords: HP disk partitions NFS
Message-ID: <138@bcstec.UUCP>
Date: 6 Sep 89 06:15:12 GMT
Organization: Boeing Computer Services, Seattle
Lines: 64

I recently ran into a problem.  When we wanted to use NFS to make usenet 
available to some of the local machines, I found out that HP version of NFS
will only export whole file systems only and not sub-directories.  Not wanting
to publish the root partition we decided to re-partition the /users drive.
(By the way this is a 825CHX running HP-UX 3.1 with a 7963B that has all 3 
305 Megbyte drives in it.)  The /users drive is a single drive of 305 Meg.
2 partitions of 150 Meg each sounded good.
So after 2 days of reading manuals to make sure things were done correctly,
backing up the users files, etc.  First we looked in the /etc/ disktab file
and found the following:

# @(#) $Revision: 62.2.1.1 $
hp7959|hp7959B|hp7963|hp7963B|hp9263B:\
	:ty=winchester:ns#15:nt#12:nc#1572:rm#3600:\
	:s0#24280:b0#8192:f0#1024:\
	:s1#16384:\
	:s2#297108:\
	:s3#19532:b3#8192:f3#8192:\
	:s4#36864:b4#8192:f4#1024:\
	:s5#197504:b5#4096:f5#1024:\
	:s6#1998:\
	:s7#42902:b7#4096:f7#1024:\
	:s8#254204:b8#4096:f8#1024:\
	:s9#234548:b9#4096:f9#1024:\
	:s12#295028:b12#4096:f12#1024:\
	:s13#278586:b13#4096:f13#1024:\
	:s14#24280:b14#8192:f14#1024:\
	:s15#16384:

If you will notice the closest you can come to 150 Meg partition is s5 at 
197Mb and then you might be able to combine 3 or 4 other sections for the 
remaining 108 meg.
No problem we think we will just change the disktab table to include 2
partitions of the size that we need.

We went to it and ended up with a "Write error at block xxxxx"
Scratch our heads for a couple of more days to make sure we didn't miss 
anything, give up and call the HP response center.  The first answer I was 
given I didn't believe, after verifing the the answer I had to scrape my chin 
off of the floor.  HP hardcoded the disktab table into the kernal !!!!!!

FLAMES

HOW could you believe that the selection of partitions sizes that you chose
would fit what yours customers need !?  First you have a lousy choices of 
sizes, either very big or very small.  Then the manuals read that you change 
the disktab entry to have different size partitions, but then that doesn't 
work because you put the "allowable" sizes in the kernal.  I really don't 
believe it!!  I can't figure out if it was stupidity or lots of gall.  

You know I keep telling my co-workers that HP builds nice machines, after
they hear about these types of gaffes they just say "sure jim" and snicker.

FLAME OFF

Other than hacking the kernal anyone have any ideas ?
 
 By the way the response center said that they would submit an "enhancement 
 request".  Jim's translation "HP might fix this in the next decade".


 jim sadler
 Unix support, BCS Commercial Airplane Support
 206-234-9009
 uunet!bcstec!jsadler or maybe jsadler@bcstec.boeing.com