[Parted-maintainers] fdisk (util-linux-ng 2.13.1.1) Hangs on 'fdisk /dev/sda'

[Xavier Oswald]

On 11:16 Thu 23 Apr     , Tim Legg wrote:
> 
> Hello

hi,

> #fdisk -v
> fdisk (util-linux-ng 2.13.1.1)

I just updated fdisk version in debian unstable some hours ago. (version 1.2.2),
you could maybe try with this one..

> I have a 16GB Polaroid SDCard with a ext2 partition, but no MBR.
> 
> When I run
> 
> #fdisk /dev/sda
> 
> , fdisk hangs indefinitely. When I close the root xterm, the processor remains 100% busy until I reboot.  I have no idea which process is using the processor since I don't know how to identify processes by the I/O wait time they consume.

You can see it with the command 'top' or better 'htop'.
Please let me know if the cpu 100% usage come from fdisk.

> I suspect that there is the possibility the SDCard may be defective and would like to test it, but I will retain the card in its current state in case you would like to me troubleshoot.  I see this is an opportunity for me to help fdisk become for robust against bizarre or broken hardware.

Ok, good point.

> Off topic, but for the curious...  I installed Debian on the SDCard, hence the ext2 filesystem.  For some odd reason, perhaps at my error, the installer modified the MBR of the wrong SD device.  That is why there is no MBR present on the card.

Hmm. That's bad! I think the as the installer install by default the mbr, it
tried on your SD card. but you can manually update the mbr if you reboot on the
CD, go to the console and chroot the environment.

Greetings,
-- 
  ,''`.  Xavier Oswald <xoswald at debian.org>                   
 : :' :  GNU/LINUX Debian Developer                        
 `. `'   GnuPG Key ID 0x88BBB51E                            
   `-    938D D715 6915 8860 9679  4A0C A430 C6AA 88BB B51E