Ubuntu
util-linux package

can't format second hard drive, How will Ubuntu decide which hard drive is master and which is secondary?

Asked by George

Hi, all.
I can't format second hard drive.
info on my computer - HP laptop DV8000 with 2 HDD bays, one is occupied with SSD (new with Ubuntu 10.4), another is 500GB WD V-25 (brand new and not formated). It was used with Win XP and BIOS was updated a few months ago.
I mounted SSD only and installed Ubuntu - works fine. Then I added WD hard drive (no jumpers) - I can see it, but I can format it. After setting the jumper on WD to SSC, same results.
"Disk Utility" (from System -- Administration) shows the second disk, but does not format it (in any scheme exceot mac/apple). "Gparted" shows only first disk.
Here is info from the terminal (commands are separated by the asterisks):

********************

lap@lap:~$ sudo fdisk -l
[sudo] password for lap:

Disk /dev/sda: 32.0 GB, 32017047552 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3892 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0001f37f

   Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 3727 29931520 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 3727 3893 1332225 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 3727 3893 1332224 82 Linux swap / Solaris

*****************************

lap@lap:~$ cat /etc/fstab
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid -o value -s UUID' to print the universally unique identifier
# for a device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name
# devices that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc nodev,noexec,nosuid 0 0
# / was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=40578a8e-0626-41a7-be4a-547ec7d31707 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# swap was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=e3010a58-8d85-4897-b16b-6a598bce1938 none swap sw

********************************

lap@lap:~$ sudo lshw -C disk
  *-disk:0
       description: ATA Disk
       product: Corsair CSSD-V32
       physical id: 0
       bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0
       logical name: /dev/sda
       version: 2.2
       serial: 11056512000010200277
       size: 29GiB (32GB)
       capabilities: partitioned partitioned:dos
       configuration: ansiversion=5 signature=0001f37f
  *-disk:1
       description: ATA Disk
       product: WDC WD5000BUDT-6
       vendor: Western Digital
       physical id: 0.1.0
       bus info: scsi@0:0.1.0
       logical name: /dev/sdb
       version: 01.0
       serial: WD-WXP1E80AZ375
       configuration: ansiversion=5
  *-cdrom
       description: DVD-RAM writer
       product: CD/DVDW TS-L632L
       vendor: TSSTcorp
       physical id: 1
       bus info: scsi@1:0.0.0
       logical name: /dev/cdrom1
       logical name: /dev/cdrw1
       logical name: /dev/dvd1
       logical name: /dev/dvdrw1
       logical name: /dev/scd0
       logical name: /dev/sr0
       version: HP16
       serial: [TSSTcorpCD/DVDW TS-L632LHP1606/28/06A63300S5C1
       capabilities: removable audio cd-r cd-rw dvd dvd-r dvd-ram
       configuration: ansiversion=5 status=nodisc

***********************************

lap@lap:~$ ls /dev/sd*
/dev/sda /dev/sda1 /dev/sda2 /dev/sda5 /dev/sdb

*************************************

I searched the forum and found only one "suggestion" - somebody installed ubuntu separately on both hard drives. Will this approach work? How will Ubuntu decide which hard drive is master and which is primary?
I'm new to Linux and not a programmer. Please advise me what to do and how.
Thank you all in advance.
George.

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Revision history for this message
George (wwdwgs) said : 		#1

CORRECTION:
How will Ubuntu decide which hard drive is master and which is SECONDARY?

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#2

Don't use 'cable select' in Linux, it makes things break. Make sure the drives are defined as master or slave. You will need to study the pin layouts to see what needs shorting with the jumper to make it appear as such.

The drive does show from your fdisk output. if you use gparted then select "Device" from the app menu, can you switch to the other drive?

Revision history for this message
George (wwdwgs) said : 		#3

Actionparsnip:
What is "cable select"?
the Gparted only shows one (first) hard drive from a drop-down menu in upper right corner.
I will set jumper to RPS (reduced power spin-up - pins 4 &3) to see if this will help. On WD site they don't indicate "slave" setting as such - it's either no jumpers (default), SSC (spread spectrum clocking - current setting) or RPS.
I'll be back in 10-15 min.

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#4

cable select lets the bios find and assign the drives as it sees fit, no real master or slave and it can cause issues.

If you reboot with the drives installed (and detected in BIOS)

You can run:

dmesg | less

and read the bootup, see if the drives are detected.

Revision history for this message
George (wwdwgs) said : 		#5

actionparsnip:
do these lines show that the second hard drive is detected:

n't support DPO or FUA
[ 2.441336] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Attached SCSI disk
[ 2.441639] sd 0:0:1:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI disk

Revision history for this message
marcus aurelius (adbiz) said : 		#6

you have scsi drives. there's no cable select with scsi drives. scsi drives are controller by the scsi card.

it appears you have two hard drives connect.

Revision history for this message
marcus aurelius (adbiz) said : 		#7

could be wrong. i don't believe wd even makes scsi drives.

anyways, there are a couple of ways to connect two hard drives.
1) cable select - you use one of those grey ribbon cables to connect both drives. the cable will have a twist in it between the two connectors. with cable select, you don't need to jumper the pins on the hard drives. the pins are on the end of the drive hear the cable connectors

2) pin select - you use a separate cable to connect each drive, but you have to jumper the pins to differential which is the primary drive and which is the slave.

there should be a label on the drive, either on top of it or on the end where the pins are that shows you how to jumper the drive to be master or slave. you should also have received a slip of paper with these instructions.

sata drives are way easier to connect than ata (pata) drives.

Revision history for this message
marcus aurelius (adbiz) said : 		#8

oops: hear = near

Revision history for this message
marcus aurelius (adbiz) said : 		#9

okay. back to your question.

if you click the box at the top right corner, you can access the 2nd drive.
currently it should say sda.
if you click it, it'll show you all the drives you have installed.
click on sdb to access your 2nd drive.

Revision history for this message
marcus aurelius (adbiz) said : 		#10

sorry. i'm on a sugar high from eating 4 nanaimo bars.

click on the top box in gparted...

Revision history for this message
George (wwdwgs) said : 		#11

Marcus:
This is a laptop, not a desktop - there are only two sata connectors for hard disk drives (you slip the disk in connector and secure with a couple of screws). When I open "disk utility", it shows the second disk in this location: Port 1 of PATA Host Adapter, Device - /dev/sdb, Capacity - 0.0, Connection - ATA. When I click Format Drive and choose any scheme, it just doesn't do anything (after authentication). At this point I'm just lost.

Revision history for this message
George (wwdwgs) said : 		#12

marcus:
That Gparted box shows only first hard drive.

Revision history for this message
marcus aurelius (adbiz) said : 		#13

i've always found gparted to be glitchy. which version of gparted are you using? did you download the latest version for sourceforge.net?

you probably couldn't format with disk utility because the drive is mounted. you have to unmount it before you can format.

Revision history for this message
George (wwdwgs) said : 		#14

Marcus:
the Gparted version is 0.5.1, downloaded thru ubuntu's synaptic package manager.
How do I unmount the second drive?

Revision history for this message
George (wwdwgs) said : 		#15

The second hard disk drive isn't mounted:

lap@lap:/dev$ umount -l /dev/sdb
umount: /dev/sdb is not mounted (according to mtab)

Revision history for this message
marcus aurelius (adbiz) said : 		#16

latest version of gparted is 0.8.1 go to sourceforge.net and download it.

if you're still using windoze, go to pendrivelinux.com and download the utility that let's you install gparted on a usb stick. if not, you might get able to install it with unetbootin. you can download unetbootin from sourceforge.net. i find that pendrivelinux is way better than unetbootin.

boot from the usb stick with gparted, then format the 2nd drive.

Revision history for this message
George (wwdwgs) said : 		#17

marcus,
Thank you for the advice. let me assemble my computer and try to tinker with it some more.
I'll post any results...

Revision history for this message
George (wwdwgs) said : 		#18

update:
used Gparted 0.8.0 from CD and same result - it does not see the second hard drive.
Is it the capacity of 2-nd hard drive? Is 500GB too big for program to see it?

Revision history for this message
George (wwdwgs) said : 		#19

.. or is it a problem with bios/motherboard setting? Maybe there is a limitation on how big the hard drive i can install? I don't know.
May be I have to format the second hard drive on windows pc and then install into my laptop?

Can you help with this problem?

Provide an answer of your own, or ask George for more information if necessary.

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