[lug] Cylinders and pertitioning

[John Starkey]

> Long ago, before LBA mode existed (try LBA mode first), and the limit
> was reached around 540 MB, once could lie to the bios by telling it you
> had more heads (multiply in powers of 2) and fewer cylinders (divide in
> powers of 2), but always keeping sector size the same. Then at bootup,
> you had to pass the real geometry to the linux kernel. Lilo and the bios
> were perfectly happy with lies, so long as cylinders x heads remained
> approximately constant, and never higher. When the kernel takes over
> after lilo, it needs its own, real knowledge of geometry.

The new 20 gig drive already in use is at 1024 cylinders and this one is
at 2491 cylinders. The bios are the same for both. LILO boots without any
special params. And the kernel is doing fine. So I guess this is what you
are saying. But what's LBA?