NAME

rdb − create and manage hard disk partition tables

SYNOPSIS

rdb [-v] [-H] [-e] [-E] device
rdb -c [-s cylindersize] [-L n] -d disksize device [name start length]...
rdb -a device name start length
rdb -p partition [-b] [-B] [-m] [-M] [-C n] [-F n] [-P n] [-R n] device

DESCRIPTION

rdb has three major purposes:  to display a hard disk partition table, to create a hard disk partition table, or to modify a hard disk partition table. 

rdb with no options or with the -H option displays the partition table on the specified device, if there is one. 

rdb with the -c option creates a disk partition table on the specified device.  rdb with the -a option adds a partition to the partition table.  rdb with the -p option modifies parameters associated with the selected partition. 

OPTIONS

rdb recognizes the following options:

-a
 
Add a partition to an existing partition table.
 
Partition starting and length parameters must be multiples of the cylinder size.  You must ensure that partitions do not overlap each other, the initial reserved cylinders or the end of the disk.
 
The first 100 blocks are reserved for the partition table and rigid disk block.  If you expect to install AmigaDos on this disk, you must reserve the first 2 cylinders.
 
The first partition starts at the first cylinder boundary above the reserved blocks.
 

-b Make the selected partition non-bootable. 

-B Make the selected partition bootable. 

-c Create a new partition table and write it to the specified device.  An optional partition list may follow the arguments. 
 
WARNING: This option destroys all data on the device.
 

-C n Set the number of custom boot blocks for the selected partition to n.  An Amiga Unix boot partition requires 2 custom boot blocks. 

-d n Set the capacity of the hard drive in blocks.  The capacity of the drive is rounded down to the nearest cylinder boundary.  See the -s option. 

-e Clear the "last drive in system" bit on the specified device. 

-E Set the "last drive in system" bit on the specified device. 

-F n Set the file system type on the selected partition to n, where n is an eight digit hex number.  Valid file system types are:

0x444f5300      DOS\0        AmigaDOS old filesystem
0x444f5301      DOS\1        AmigaDOS fast filesystem (ffs)
0x554e4900      UNI\0        Unix boot partition
0x554e4901      UNI\1        Unix s5 filesystem
0x554e4902      UNI\2        Unix ufs filesystem
0x72657376      RESV         Reserved partition (Unix swap)

 
NOTE:  The 0x is required.

-H Present partition information in a human-readable form. 

-L n Make rdb use block n as the default position for the partition table.  If not set, the default position is block 0.  The -L 2 option is is required on systems that do not have Kickstart 2.0 or newer roms, for compatibility with AmigaDOS. 

-m Make the selected partition not mountable.  Non-bootable UNIX partitions require -m. 

-M Make the selected partition mountable.  Bootable UNIX partitions and all AmigaDOS partitions require -M. 

-p n Select partition n.  The b, B, C, P, f and F options operate on the selected partition.  Partitions are numbered starting at 1. 

-P n Set the boot priority on the selected partition to n.  Boot priority 5 is reserved for the floppy drive.  The system boots the bootable (-M -B) partition having the highest boot priority.  New AmigaUNIX systems have priority 2 assigned to the UNIX_Boot partition and 0 or 1 to AmigaDOS. 

-R n Set the number of filesystem reserved blocks to n.  AmigaDOS partitions require -R 2. 

-s cylindersize
Set the blocks per cylinder to cylindersize.  Default blocks per cylinder is 64. A cylinder size of at least 64 blocks is required if AmigaDOS partitions are going to be added to the disk.

-v Enables verbose output. 

The value displayed by the ddsize command may be used as the disksize value.  rdb requires that partitions begin and end on cylinder boundaries. 
 

EXAMPLES

Find out the actual size of the scsi id 6 hard drive using the command

         ddsize /dev/dsk/c6d0s0
 

If it displays 205074 for a particular drive, the command

         rdb -c -s 64 -L 2 -d 205074 /dev/dsk/c6d0s0
 

will initialize its partition table without creating partitions. 
 
WARNING: The -c option will destroy all data on the disk.
 
Use the -a option later to add partitions. The commands

         rdb -a /dev/dsk/c6d0s0 Home  128   81920
        rdb -a /dev/dsk/c6d0s0 Boot2 82048 4096
 

add a 40 megabyte partition and a 2 megabyte partition as the first and second partitions on the disk at scsi id 6.  The start offset 128 of the first partition allows space for the two 64-block reserved cylinders at the beginning of the disk.  Note that all start and length offsets are a multiple of the cylinder size.  The command

          rdb -p 1 -m -F 0x554e4901 /dev/dsk/c6d0s0
 

Sets parameters for partition 1 on scsi disk 6 appropriate for a non-bootable UNIX filesystem partition. 

          rdb -p 2 -M -B -C 2 -P 2 -F 0x554e4900 /dev/dsk/c6d0s0
 

Sets parameters for partition 2, scsi id 6 appropriate for an AmigaUNIX bootable partition: automount, bootable, 2 custom boot blocks, priority 2, and filesystem type UNI\0. 
 

DIAGNOSTICS

rdb’s exit status indicates success or failure.  An appropriate message is written to standard error output upon failure. 
 

SEE ALSO

ddsize(1A), showrdb(1A)
 

NOTES

 
To set up AmigaDOS partitions, leave unallocated space and use the tools on the AmigaDOS Install floppy, Version 2.04 or later.
 
Using HDToolBox on a disk configured with less than 64 blocks-pre-cylinder is not a pleasant experience.  Don’t try it, you won’t like it.
 
You must use -L 2 with -c if you do not have Kickstart 2.0 or later.
 
If you are using a 2090 or 2090A disk controller, you cannot install AmigaUNIX and AmigaDOS on the same disk.

  —  Last change: 4-Dec-91