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Today I fixed the computer where I had set up a linux logical partition 
hdb5 in a DOS extended partition hdb4.

First I checked whether there were files in hda2 (D: originally) and there 
were not.  This must be the DOS extended partition now (hdb4).

I assumed since hdb4 was D:, there would now be a G:.  There was not.
This is not a usable setup.  I did not figure out which of my DOS 
partitions on hda was missing.

I could NOT delete the DOS extended partition with BL2 cfdisk because it 
is not listed.  I could delete the linux logical partition hdb5 inside it.

I deleted hdb4 (DOS extended partition) with DOS PQMagic.

With BL2 cfdisk I then made hdb5 and hdb6 Logical partitions.  FSType was 
listed as Linux (not Linux ext2 which the three regular primary partitions 
are).

I made the two devices hdb5 and hdb6.

mke2fs would not work:
Invalid argument passed to ext2 library while setting up superblock.

This is what happened on my other computer.

I was able to format hdb5 to EXT2 with DOS PQMAGIC.  It did not offer me 
the option to format hdb6 - Format was greyed out.

I rebooted back to BL2 and looked at hdb with cfdisk.  hdb5 was now FSType 
linux ext2.  hdb6 still just linux.

After rebooting, mke2fs worked on hdb6, same as yesterday.

Conclusions:

1.  DOS PQMagic can fix problems that cfdisk cannot handle, such as messed 
up partition tables and the existence of a DOS extended partition which 
cfdisk does not display so cannot delete.  Maybe busybox fdisk could have 
deleted it?  Maybe DOS fdisk could have?

2. DOS PQMagic cannot format the second of two ext2 partitions.  (I did 
not try making logical linux partitions with it - I used cfdisk).

3.  BLK2 mke2fs does not work on newly made linux logical partitions made 
with cfdisk until you reboot BL2.  (Maybe parted would not have this 
problem?).

4.  You have to remember to make the devices for any logical partitions 
before trying to format them.

I agree with Steven that it is best to stay away from extended partitions,
but they are not impossible to set up.

I now have BL3.4 in hdb1, BL2 in hdb2, space to move things around in in 
hdb3, BL3.50 in hdb5, and hdb6 to set up other versions of BL3.50 and 13GB 
free space.  And have avoided really large partitions which would slow 
down boot, and take longer to e2fsck.

I have DOS on a separate hard disk.

Sindi

keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org