Package: util-linux
Version: 2.17.2-5
Severity: normal
Mkswap also thinks LVM volumes are a whole disk, and thus doesn't erase
the 'bootbits', and complains about it.
I have looked at the source, and it only clears it if the device does not
start at the start of the disk, or if the name ends with a number
(like in 'hda1'). This latter check causes LVM volumes (or swap files) to
be treated differently, depending on their name:
/dev/vg/swap -> bootbits not cleared
/dev/vg/swap2 -> bootbits not cleared if geometry check enabled
bootbits cleared if geometry check disabled
Obviously, they should be cleared in both cases.
Actually, shouldn't the bootbits *always* be overwritten, as the MBR /
disklabel that might be there would cause the (now overwritten) contents
of the device to be interpreted incorrectly ? Or is there a case where the
data in the bootbits is still relevant after overwriting the contents of
the device ?
Wouldn't it be a good alternative to just check the first block(s) on
the candidate device for the presence of an MBR, disklabel or GPT ? If
there is one, the action could be refused unless the '-f' option was
given. This catches the obvious and most destructive mistakes, without
getting too much in the user's way.
Regards,
Rogier.
-- System Information:
Debian Release: squeeze/sid
APT prefers testing
APT policy: (500, 'testing')
Architecture: i386 (x86_64)
Kernel: Linux 2.6.32-5-amd64 (SMP w/1 CPU core)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash
Versions of packages util-linux depends on:
ii debconf [debconf-2.0] 1.5.35 Debian configuration management
sy
ii dpkg 1.15.8.5 Debian package management system
ii initscripts 2.88dsf-12 scripts for initializing and
shutt
ii install-info 4.13a.dfsg.1-5 Manage installed documentation in
ii libblkid1 2.17.2-3.2 block device id library
ii libc6 2.11.2-6 Embedded GNU C Library: Shared
lib
ii libncurses5 5.7+20100313-3 shared libraries for terminal
hand
ii libselinux1 2.0.96-1 SELinux runtime shared libraries
ii libslang2 2.2.2-4 The S-Lang programming library -
r
ii libuuid1 2.17.2-3.2 Universally Unique ID library
ii lsb-base 3.2-23.1 Linux Standard Base 3.2 init
scrip
ii tzdata 2010l-1 time zone and daylight-saving
time
ii zlib1g 1:1.2.3.4.dfsg-3 compression library - runtime
util-linux recommends no packages.
Versions of packages util-linux suggests:
ii console-tools 1:0.2.3dbs-69 Linux console and font utilities
ii dosfstools 3.0.9-1 utilities for making and checking
pn util-linux-locales <none> (no description available)
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util-linux/noauto-with-nonzero-passnum:
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