USB thumb drive questio

Tim ignored_mailbox at yahoo.com.au
Wed Apr 26 02:56:13 UTC 2006


Michael H. Warfield:
>>> Linux really doesn't care much about the partition type.  It's going
>>> to look for the file system signatures and, pretty much, ignore the
>>> partition type codes in the partition tables.

Tim:
>> It might be used to preselect what type of format to do to a new
>> partition, by default...
 
Mikkel L. Ellertson:
> I am not sure what "It" is, but partitions are not formatted when
> they are created

I know that.  But when it comes to formatting them later, it is possible
for a tool to present you with the most obvious file system to format it
as, by default, based on the partition type.

If you were running a multi-boot system, or dealing with multiple types
of filing systems, I'd certainly recomment preselecting the right
partition types.

I had a lot of fun (not) trying to format a USB flash drive.  Its
partition type, if you like (for something that isn't really a drive),
was the obvious FAT system.  If I tried a mkfs on it, Linux did try to
format it as one, it didn't try and format it as EXT3.  Any effort to
format it as EXT3 was a fight.

-- 
(Currently running FC4, occasionally trying FC5.)

Don't send private replies to my address, the mailbox is ignored.
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