Any problems getting a really big HD for a linux server?

[tmchow]

I'm assembling a linux box for my house that will act as a firewall, file server, etc. I managed to sell 3 smaller hard drives I had and want to get something larger, like a 15 or 20GB drive.

I know that the OS has to be installed before teh 1024th cylinder, but other than that are there any problems with having a single large drive for Linux?

 

[Burn]

Not that I know of...

Just make yourself a /boot partition at the front of the drive for the boot files, a swap partition, and then go for it. My 40GB seems to be working just fine...

 

[SealBeater]

Large disks sizes are no longer a problem with the new lilo. Install as normal, make a boot floppy, download the new lilo and install. Presto 8*)

 

[Sebastian]

Yeah the new lilo works just fine. Also there is no longer a 32 gig limit now with the newer 2.2.X kernels.

 

[tmchow]

wow, I thought that the 1024th cylinder limit was a hardware thing preventing OSes from booting beyond that point.

 

[Sebastian]

ACtually i think it was... not now.

 

[tmchow]

If it was a hardware limitation how could software fix it?

 

[Bob/NYC]

http://rufus.w3.org/linux/RPM/mandrake/7.1/Mandrake/RPMS/lilo-0.21.4.3-1mdk.i586.html ...if 0.22-19mdk change is compiled in.

Check your libraries and kernel version and other lilo rpms. *Most* rpms are interchangeable. ...usu. disclaimer...
http://rufus.w3.org/linux/RPM/LByName.html

Changelog

* Mon May 08 2000 Pixel <pixel@mandrakesoft.com> 0.21.4.3-1mdk
- new version (RAID patches)
* Thu Apr 27 2000 Pixel <pixel@mandrakesoft.com> 0.21.4.2-2mdk
- new version
* Sat Mar 25 2000 Pixel <pixel@mandrakesoft.com> 0.21.4-1mdk
- bzip'ed README
- separated postscript doc
- really is 21-4 (serial added)
* Wed Feb 23 2000 Pixel <pixel@mandrakesoft.com> 0.22-19mdk
- Really is 0.22 (non <<official>> version with EDD enabled)
(EDD means no more 1024 cylinder problem)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[a Bill]

As long as the boot sector is where it belongs, you can have a pretty big drive. I happened to set up a Linux install last week on a box with 100+ gigs of HDD and had no problems. Although a 60 gig /opt partition might have been a bit overkill 🙂

 

[Sebastian]

Fixed as in bios hacked. What do you think LBA is?