setup-storage, "mkfs.ext3: Invalid argument while setting blocksize; too small for device"

John Heim jheim at math.wisc.edu
Fri Jul 13 22:49:19 CEST 2012


I'm getting an error installing on a new Dell workstation. I don't know the 
model number, to tell you the truth. But it has a 250Gb sata drive.  Below 
is my setup storage config file, the output from parted, and the format.log 
file.

It says its trying to use  a block size too small for the device? Note that 
I tried doing align-at:4K but it did not help.

=== setup-storage ===
disk_config disk1 align-at:4K disklabel:msdos
logical /         64G      ext3           rw        createopts="-b 2048"
logical  swap          1G-2G   swap   rw
logical  /home      10%-   ext3  rw,relatime 
createopts="-m 5 -j"


=== parted ===
Model: ATA ST250DM000-1BD14 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 250GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: msdos

Number  Start   End     Size    Type      File system  Flags
 1      1052kB  250GB   250GB   extended               lba
 5      1053kB  68.7GB  68.7GB  logical
 6      68.7GB  70.5GB  1811MB  logical
 7      70.5GB  250GB   180GB   logical


=== format.log ===
Starting setup-storage 1.4
disklist: sda
Using config file: /var/lib/fai/config/disk_config/BOOTLINUXONLY
Input was:
disk_config disk1 align-at:4K disklabel:msdos
logical /         64G      ext3           rw        createopts="-b 2048"
logical  swap          1G-2G   swap   rw
logical  /home      10%-   ext3  rw,relatime 
createopts="-m 5 -j"
(CMD) parted -s /dev/sda unit TiB print 1> /tmp/OG8FYZDLQm 2> 
/tmp/AClj24_w0N
Executing: parted -s /dev/sda unit TiB print
Parted could not read a disk label (new disk?)
(STDOUT) Error: /dev/sda: unrecognised disk label
(CMD) parted -s /dev/sda mklabel msdos 1> /tmp/61V7OaRlLd 2> /tmp/RA7BtvH9pS
Executing: parted -s /dev/sda mklabel msdos
(CMD) parted -s /dev/sda unit TiB print 1> /tmp/h9FMDrZzR9 2> 
/tmp/TbtE8j2hxt
Executing: parted -s /dev/sda unit TiB print
(STDOUT) Model: ATA ST250DM000-1BD14 (scsi)
(STDOUT) Disk /dev/sda: 0.23TiB
(STDOUT) Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
(STDOUT) Partition Table: msdos
(STDOUT)
(STDOUT) Number  Start  End  Size  Type  File system  Flags
(STDOUT)
(CMD) parted -s /dev/sda unit B print free 1> /tmp/_B08Fqg3Tu 2> 
/tmp/iFKurQqqyt
Executing: parted -s /dev/sda unit B print free
(STDOUT) Model: ATA ST250DM000-1BD14 (scsi)
(STDOUT) Disk /dev/sda: 250059350016B
(STDOUT) Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
(STDOUT) Partition Table: msdos
(STDOUT)
(STDOUT) Number  Start   End            Size           Type  File system 
Flags
(STDOUT)         32256B  250059350015B  250059317760B        Free Space
(STDOUT)
(CMD) parted -s /dev/sda unit chs print free 1> /tmp/jtkx87vHHA 2> 
/tmp/MT_i_zy9Ar
Executing: parted -s /dev/sda unit chs print free
(STDOUT) Model: ATA ST250DM000-1BD14 (scsi)
(STDOUT) Disk /dev/sda: 30401,80,62
(STDOUT) Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
(STDOUT) BIOS cylinder,head,sector geometry: 30401,255,63.  Each cylinder is 
8225kB.
(STDOUT) Partition Table: msdos
(STDOUT)
(STDOUT) Number  Start  End          Type  File system  Flags
(STDOUT)         0,1,0  30401,80,62        Free Space
(STDOUT)
    Finding all volume groups
  No volume groups found
(CMD) mdadm --examine --scan --verbose -c partitions 1> /tmp/gsj3jrxR5F 2> 
/tmp/moaRQi73fd
Executing: mdadm --examine --scan --verbose -c partitions
Current disk layout
$VAR1 = {
          '/dev/sda' => {
                          'bios_heads' => '255',
                          'disklabel' => 'msdos',
                          'partitions' => {},
                          'bios_cylinders' => '30401',
                          'size' => '250059350016',
                          'sector_size' => '512',
                          'begin_byte' => 0,
                          'end_byte' => '250059350015',
                          'bios_sectors_per_track' => '63'
                        }
        };
Current LVM layout
$VAR1 = {};
Current RAID layout
$VAR1 = {};
Current device tree
$VAR1 = {
          '/dev/sda' => undef
        };
Desired disk layout
$VAR1 = {
          'PHY_/dev/sda' => {
                              'opts_all' => {},
                              'preserveparts' => 0,
                              'align_at' => 4096,
                              'disklabel' => 'msdos',
                              'partitions' => {
                                                '6' => {
                                                         'encrypt' => 0,
                                                         'start_byte' => 
'68720533504',
                                                         'filesystem' => 
'swap',
                                                         'mountpoint' => 
'none',
                                                         'mount_options' => 
'rw',
                                                         'end_byte' => 
'70531510271',
                                                         'size' => {
                                                                     'resize' 
=> 0,
                                                                     'always_format' 
=> 0,
                                                                     'range' 
=> '1810976768-1810976768',
                                                                     'preserve' 
=> 0,
                                                                     'eff_size' 
=> 1810976768,
                                                                     'extended' 
=> 0
                                                                   }
                                                       },
                                                '1' => {
                                                         'start_byte' => 
1051648,
                                                         'end_byte' => 
'250059350015',
                                                         'size' => {
                                                                     'resize' 
=> 0,
                                                                     'always_format' 
=> 0,
                                                                     'preserve' 
=> 0,
                                                                     'eff_size' 
=> '250058292224',
                                                                     'extended' 
=> 1
                                                                   }
                                                       },
                                                '7' => {
                                                         'journal_dev' => 
undef,
                                                         'encrypt' => 0,
                                                         'start_byte' => 
'70531514368',
                                                         'createopts' => '-m 
5 -j',
                                                         'mountpoint' => 
'/home',
                                                         'mount_options' => 
'rw,relatime',
                                                         'size' => {
                                                                     'resize' 
=> 0,
                                                                     'always_format' 
=> 0,
                                                                     'range' 
=> '179527835648-179527835648',
                             Use of uninitialized value in string eq at 
/usr/share/fai/setup-storage//Commands.pm line 1142.
                                        'preserve' => 0,
                                                                     'eff_size' 
=> '179527835648',
                                                                     'extended' 
=> 0
                                                                   },
                                                         'filesystem' => 
'ext3',
                                                         'end_byte' => 
'250059350015'
                                                       },
                                                '5' => {
                                                         'journal_dev' => 
undef,
                                                         'encrypt' => 0,
                                                         'start_byte' => 
1052672,
                                                         'createopts' => '-b 
2048',
                                                         'mountpoint' => 
'/',
                                                         'mount_options' => 
'rw',
                                                         'size' => {
                                                                     'resize' 
=> 0,
                                                                     'always_format' 
=> 0,
                                                                     'range' 
=> '68719476736-68719476736',
                                                                     'preserve' 
=> 0,
                                                                     'eff_size' 
=> '68719476736',
                                                                     'extended' 
=> 0
                                                                   },
                                                         'filesystem' => 
'ext3',
                                                         'end_byte' => 
'68720529407'
                                                       }
                                              },
                              'fstabkey' => 'device',
                              'bootable' => -1,
                              'virtual' => 0
                            }
        };
Desired device tree
$VAR1 = {
          '/dev/sda' => [
                          '/dev/sda1',
                          '/dev/sda5',
                          '/dev/sda6',
                          '/dev/sda7'
                        ]
        };
/ FS create_options: -b 2048
/home FS create_options: -m 5 -j
Trying to add CMD: true
PRE:
POST: exist_/dev/sda
Trying to add CMD: true
PRE: exist_/dev/sda
POST: cleared1_/dev/sda
Trying to add CMD: parted -s /dev/sda mklabel msdos
PRE: cleared1_/dev/sda
POST: cleared2_/dev/sda
Trying to add CMD: parted -s /dev/sda mkpart extended "" 1051648B 
250059350015B
PRE: cleared2_/dev/sda
POST: prep2_/dev/sda1
Trying to add CMD: true
PRE: prep2_/dev/sda1
POST: exist_/dev/sda1
Trying to add CMD: parted -s /dev/sda mkpart logical "ext3" 1052672B 
68720529407B
PRE: cleared2_/dev/sda,exist_/dev/sda1
POST: prep2_/dev/sda5
Trying to add CMD: true
PRE: prep2_/dev/sda5
POST: exist_/dev/sda5
Trying to add CMD: parted -s /dev/sda mkpart logical "linux-swap" 
68720533504B 70531510271B
PRE: cleared2_/dev/sda,exist_/dev/sda5
POST: prep2_/dev/sda6
Trying to add CMD: true
PRE: prep2_/dev/sda6
POST: exist_/dev/sda6
Trying to add CMD: parted -s /dev/sda mkpart logical "ext3" 70531514368B 
250059350015B
PRE: cleared2_/dev/sda,exist_/dev/sda6
POST: prep2_/dev/sda7
Trying to add CMD: true
PRE: prep2_/dev/sda7
POST: exist_/dev/sda7
Trying to add CMD: mkfs.ext3 -b 2048 /dev/sda5
PRE: exist_/dev/sda5
POST: has_fs_/dev/sda5
Trying to add CMD: mkswap  /dev/sda6
PRE: exist_/dev/sda6
POST: has_fs_/dev/sda6
Trying to add CMD: mkfs.ext3 -m 5 -j /dev/sda7
PRE: exist_/dev/sda7
POST: has_fs_/dev/sda7
Trying to add CMD: true
PRE: cleared2_/dev/sda,exist_/dev/sda7
POST: pt_complete_/dev/sda
1:true
 pre:
 post: exist_/dev/sda
2:true
 pre: exist_/dev/sda
 post: cleared1_/dev/sda
3:parted -s /dev/sda mklabel msdos
 pre: cleared1_/dev/sda
 post: cleared2_/dev/sda
4:parted -s /dev/sda mkpart extended "" 1051648B 250059350015B
 pre: cleared2_/dev/sda
 post: prep2_/dev/sda1
5:true
 pre: prep2_/dev/sda1
 post: exist_/dev/sda1
6:parted -s /dev/sda mkpart logical "ext3" 1052672B 68720529407B
 pre: cleared2_/dev/sda,exist_/dev/sda1
 post: prep2_/dev/sda5
7:true
 pre: prep2_/dev/sda5
 post: exist_/dev/sda5
8:parted -s /dev/sda mkpart logical "linux-swap" 68720533504B 70531510271B
 pre: cleared2_/dev/sda,exist_/dev/sda5
 post: prep2_/dev/sda6
9:true
 pre: prep2_/dev/sda6
 post: exist_/dev/sda6
10:parted -s /dev/sda mkpart logical "ext3" 70531514368B 250059350015B
 pre: cleared2_/dev/sda,exist_/dev/sda6
 post: prep2_/dev/sda7
11:true
 pre: prep2_/dev/sda7
 post: exist_/dev/sda7
12:mkfs.ext3 -b 2048 /dev/sda5
 pre: exist_/dev/sda5
 post: has_fs_/dev/sda5
13:mkswap  /dev/sda6
 pre: exist_/dev/sda6
 post: has_fs_/dev/sda6
14:mkfs.ext3 -m 5 -j /dev/sda7
 pre: exist_/dev/sda7
 post: has_fs_/dev/sda7
15:true
 pre: cleared2_/dev/sda,exist_/dev/sda7
 post: pt_complete_/dev/sda
(CMD) parted -s /dev/sda mklabel msdos 1> /tmp/jrRQqi82MR 2> /tmp/3T4TzL_av0
Executing: parted -s /dev/sda mklabel msdos
(CMD) parted -s /dev/sda mkpart extended "" 1051648B 250059350015B 1> 
/tmp/LFOEHEm0Dk 2> /tmp/Qm6sqWyNX4
Executing: parted -s /dev/sda mkpart extended "" 1051648B 250059350015B
(STDOUT) Warning: The resulting partition is not properly aligned for best 
performance.
(CMD) parted -s /dev/sda mkpart logical "ext3" 1052672B 68720529407B 1> 
/tmp/YnbUF9XTo9 2> /tmp/WFak2ZtTZv
Executing: parted -s /dev/sda mkpart logical "ext3" 1052672B 68720529407B
(STDOUT) Warning: The resulting partition is not properly aligned for best 
performance.
(CMD) parted -s /dev/sda mkpart logical "linux-swap" 68720533504B 
70531510271B 1> /tmp/zGV33bIEb8 2> /tmp/EH_2G9u0df
Executing: parted -s /dev/sda mkpart logical "linux-swap" 68720533504B 
70531510271B
(STDOUT) Warning: The resulting partition is not properly aligned for best 
performance.
(CMD) parted -s /dev/sda mkpart logical "ext3" 70531514368B 250059350015B 1> 
/tmp/EAQ6ud68Oq 2> /tmp/AWZ0VTWNBe
Executing: parted -s /dev/sda mkpart logical "ext3" 70531514368B 
250059350015B
(STDOUT) Warning: The resulting partition is not properly aligned for best 
performance.
(CMD) mkfs.ext3 -b 2048 /dev/sda5 1> /tmp/2n_6E0ucWV 2> /tmp/wvKGl9nATE
Executing: mkfs.ext3 -b 2048 /dev/sda5
Command had non-zero exit code
(STDERR) mke2fs 1.41.12 (17-May-2010)
(STDERR) mkfs.ext3: Invalid argument while setting blocksize; too small for 
device
(STDERR)


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