FC2 -> FC3 issue with Partition table entries not in disk order

[John Summerfield]

On Thursday 02 December 2004 09:27, Michael Mansour wrote:
> # fdisk -l /dev/sda
>
> Disk /dev/sda: 9056 MB, 9056904704 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1101 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
>
>    Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id
>  System
> /dev/sda1   *           1          13      104391   fd
>  Linux raid autodetect
> /dev/sda2            1037        1101      522112+  82
>  Linux swap
> /dev/sda3              14         407     3164805   fd
>  Linux raid autodetect
> /dev/sda4             408        1036     5052442+   5
>  Extended
> /dev/sda5             408         774     2947896   fd
>  Linux raid autodetect
> /dev/sda6             775         905     1052226   fd
>  Linux raid autodetect
> /dev/sda7             906        1036     1052226   fd
>  Linux raid autodetect
>
> Partition table entries are not in disk order
>
> server2 seems to be working fine, but this is a weird
> issue since I built the filesystems originally like
> server1 under FC2, and the upgrade process has seemed
> to make modifications which are undesirable. Notice
> the warning at the bottom of the fdisk output?
>
> How can I fix this?

I presume sda1, being small, goes into /boot.

My reading of the table is that swap is at one edge of your data areas. If you 
sort it, it will be at the other edge.

I don't think either place is a good place for swap (which is why I don't 
recommend or use swap partitions) because, on average, each time your disk 
heads move to the swap the cross half the data and on average they cross half 
the data on the way back.

The outside edge might be marginally better (the disk surface moves past the 
heads a bit faster), but the swap might not be the most important stuff to 
get off disk or put on it.

I say, if swapping's a problem, add RAM.

And leave the partition table alone. Fixing it involves downtime far beyond 
what you can hope to pick up later, and carries the risk that something will 
go wrong.

-- 

Cheers
John Summerfield
tourist pics: http://environmental.disaster.cds.merseine.nu/