Disk names

[Derick Centeno]

My approach may be overkill but here goes; what follows is what happens 
when I follow Bill's recommendation invoking the commands from within 
Terminal:

Welcome to Darwin!
Arakus:~ aguila$ su
Password:
Arakus:/Users/aguila root# pdisk -l
pdisk: no command specified
usage:  pdisk <raw device> <option>
         where <raw device> is the live partition ie. /dev/rdisk0
         and <option> is one of the following:
Option
-blockSize              		: display the block size used by the map
-dump                   		: dump the list of partitions
-isDiskPartitioned      	: is the disk partitioned
-diskSize               		: prints the size of the disk in megs
-partitionSize          		: get the partition size in blocks
-partitionBase          		: get the partition base in blocks
-partitionType          		: get the partition type
-partitionName          		: get the partition name
-partitionEntry         		: get the partition name, type, base, and size
-splitPartition         		: split an existing partition in two pieces
-createPartition        		: create a new partition
-initialize             		: initialize the partition map
-deletePartition        		: delete a partition
-getPartitionOfType     	: get partition of specified type
-getPartitionWithName   	: get partition with specified name
-makeBootable           	: make a partition bootable
-setAutoMount           	: set or clear the auto-mount bit for HFS 
volumes
-setWritable            		: set or clear the writable bit in the pmap
For more info on the option, type pdisk <raw device> <option>
Arakus:/Users/aguila root#

This is obviously not what Bill expected to see.  Within the Linux 
environment the command sequence "pdisk -l" indeed does produce a list 
of what the Linux OS sees as attached to its SCSI chain.  The 
background information is that Linux interprets all devices as SCSI 
devices regardless what they are and so programs and modules are 
written (and included in the kernel) so that all kinds of devices are 
enabled to be useful and visible in that context.  pdisk refers to such 
a table or database where those identifications are made.

Even the command "pdisk -h" produces an unexpected sequence of events.  
Here is how Panther replies to the command sequence "pdisk -h" in the 
same superuser session:

Arakus:/Users/aguila root# pdisk -h
pdisk: no command specified
usage:  pdisk <raw device> <option>
         where <raw device> is the live partition ie. /dev/rdisk0
         and <option> is one of the following:
Option
-blockSize              		: display the block size used by the map
-dump                   		: dump the list of partitions
-isDiskPartitioned      	: is the disk partitioned
-diskSize               		: prints the size of the disk in megs
-partitionSize          		: get the partition size in blocks
-partitionBase          		: get the partition base in blocks
-partitionType          		: get the partition type
-partitionName         	 	: get the partition name
-partitionEntry         		: get the partition name, type, base, and size
-splitPartition         		: split an existing partition in two pieces
-createPartition        		: create a new partition
-initialize             		: initialize the partition map
-deletePartition        		: delete a partition
-getPartitionOfType     	: get partition of specified type
-getPartitionWithName   	: get partition with specified name
-makeBootable           	: make a partition bootable
-setAutoMount           	: set or clear the auto-mount bit for HFS 
volumes
-setWritable           		: set or clear the writable bit in the pmap
For more info on the option, type pdisk <raw device> <option>
Arakus:/Users/aguila root#

That the command pdisk -l and pdisk -h produce the same output is 
something that only the very, very few would be interested in 
exploring.  For this time and place... it will be acceptable to merely 
note that pdisk is not behaving within OS X as it does very nicely in 
Linux.  This effectively demonstrates that what works in Linux may not 
work in OS X; the operating systems are very different and one is (as 
we all are) definitely challenged to learn the nuances -- however, for 
all practical purposes only a few of "us" really want to dive into the 
OS very deeply.  That has always been the case.

The beauty of OS X of course is that one is free to dive into 
Darwin/BSD Unix as deep as one wishes, or not at all.  This is 
something like deciding one's religion or one's philosophy.  Why one 
does one journey or has a particular interest is very much left to 
one's private choices.  One function, just as one command, does not 
always apply or work similarly across operating systems.  The function 
man, however does function in OS X, as it does in Linux and other Unix 
variants.  Ferreting out which does what when will be the task of those 
who are interested in going "where few have gone before".

If you have a Mac running Mac OS X and a version of Linux, take the 
time to catalog where the similarities and differences lie on your own 
for your own reference as you move forward on whatever project you are 
programming for.  There may be references available but just not for 
what you are interested in doing; so as usual how deep one goes remains 
a personal choice....

Best wishes...

On May 28, 2005, at 5:31 PM, Bill Fink wrote:

> On Fri May 27 2005, Charles Trois wrote:
>
>> I am not sure of the name of my Firewire drive.
>>
>> In Mac OsX, the command
>>
>> diskutil list
>>
>> in the terminal produces an exhaustive list of disks (including CDROM,
>> Firewire, etc) and their partitions, but shows them under names such 
>> as
>> /dev/disk0, etc, not suitable for Linux, that requires /dev/hda, etc.
>>
>> Is there in Linux a tool working in the same way, that would supply 
>> the
>> proper names?
>>
>> Thanks for all hints.
>
> Charles,
>
> The command you want is "pdisk -l" (must be run as root).
>
> 					-Bill
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