[bug-fdisk] [FDISK]Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary

[Zhang Ji]

Dear Sir:

I'm sorry to trouble you!
I'm in a trouble with fdisk and hope you can help me.

Description of problem:

On the same machine,
RHEL6.0Alpha3 system is installed on /dev/sda.
RHEL5.5Beta system is installed on /dev/sdb.

Next The three partitions are distributed when I installed the RHEL6.0Alpha3 
system.
On RHEL5.5Beta system(Installed on /dev/sdb), When I type next:

address@hidden ~]# fdisk -V
fdisk (util-linux 2.13-pre7)
address@hidden ~]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 73.4 GB, 73407868928 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 8924 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1          64      512000   83  Linux
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda2              64        2614    20480000   83  Linux
/dev/sda3            2614        2875     2097152   82  Linux swap / Solaris
...

Now I know the reason of "Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary." is 
because of the end of sda1 is overlapping with the start of next partition 
(sda2).

But from the above display, the end of sda2 is also overlapping with the start 
of next 
partition (sda3), why it is not give the warning message?

Use fdisk with next option:
address@hidden ~]# fdisk -lu

Disk /dev/sda: 73.4 GB, 73407868928 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 8924 cylinders, total 143374744 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *          63     1024062      512000   83  Linux
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda2         1024063    41984062    20480000   83  Linux
/dev/sda3        41984063    46178366     2097152   82  Linux swap / Solaris

----------------------------------------
address@hidden ~]# fdisk /dev/sda
...

Command (m for help): x
Expert command (m for help): p
Disk /dev/sda: 255 heads, 63 sectors, 8924 cylinders

Nr AF  Hd Sec  Cyl  Hd Sec  Cyl     Start      Size ID
 1 80   1   1    0 189  61   63         63    1024000 83
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
 2 00 189  62   63 254  63 1023    1024063   40960000 83
 3 00 254  63 1023 254  63 1023   41984063    4194304 82
 4 00   0   0    0   0   0    0          0          0 00

>From the fdsik expert command display, I know the sda1 with end Head 189(and 
>end Sector 61),
so the fdisk give the WARNING message. 
The sda2 with end Head 254 and end Sector 63, and with no WARNING message, but 
the 
end Cylinder of sda2 was overlapping with the start Cylinder of sda3.
Generally speeaking, if the Cylinder is overlapping, Partition 2 should also 
not end 
on cylinder boundary and should give the WARNING message. 
But here is not. It is confused me.

Would you lend me a hand?
I'm looking forward to your reply.
Thanks all!