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Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!husc6!rutgers!ames!oliveb!pyramid!voder!apple!ems
From: ems@apple.UUCP (Mike Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec,comp.unix.wizards,comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Why doesn't Ultrix allow "a" partitions to shrink?
Message-ID: <903@apple.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 1-Jun-87 21:54:19 EDT
Article-I.D.: apple.903
Posted: Mon Jun  1 21:54:19 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 3-Jun-87 04:44:29 EDT
References: <12963@teknowledge-vaxc.ARPA>
Organization: Apple Computer, Inc., Cupertino, USA
Lines: 25
Keywords: Ultrix disk parition a only grows
Summary: you can also use a c partition
Xref: mnetor comp.sys.dec:218 comp.unix.wizards:2559 comp.unix.questions:2638

In article <12963@teknowledge-vaxc.ARPA>, mkhaw@teknowledge-vaxc.ARPA (Michael Khaw) writes:
> Ultrix uses a program called /etc/chpt to set/show the disk partition
> tables (on ra81's, anyway).  Hidden away in the system administrator's
> guide to disk partitioning is a note that:
> 
> 	- a disk MUST have an "a" partition with a filesystem
> 	  on it (unless you want to use the default partition
> 	  tables built into the device driver)
> 	- you can always grow the "a" partition, but it MUST
> 	  begin at sector 0 and once set to a certain size, it
> 	  cannot be made smaller.

One can also cheat and just use a 'c' partition.  This makes the whole pack
a single filesystem.  It seems that since the 'c' partition starts where the
'a' partition starts, it is properly handled.  Makes a mighty big partition,
though.

-- 

E. Michael Smith  ...!sun!apple!ems

'If you can dream it, you can do it'  Walt Disney

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