I've been given a couple of Compaq 36GB disks, one of which I'd like to 
stick in in SS20.

I stuck one in an SS20, started installing Solars, but it bombed out 
with a 'disk is not labeled' type message, and put me at the root prompt.

I ran format, labeled the disk, then tried another attempt at 
installation, electing to do a manual reboot, rather than an auto reboot.

Installation proceeded as normal, I set the size of the various 
partitions, the file systems were made etc. After the first CD was 
finished, I got the # prompt, with a message that I would need to insert 
the second CD after a reboot.

However, after typing 'reboot' it gave a page or so of odd characters. 
df would not execute, and basically the system seemed pretty useless. So 
I  got to the OK prompt, typed 'boot', but get a

"Can't read disk label"

error. I've since rebooted from the CD into single user mode, run format 
from the CD, labeled the disk (for a second time), but any attempt to 
reboot always gives a message about the disk not being labeled.

Any ideas if it is possible to get around this problem? Format generates 
no error messages when labeling the disk, and will 'save' a format.dat 
file. This is in /var/tmp or similar on the CD, as I can do this with no 
OS on the disk.

One of the disks may have been got at (the screws look a little 
damaged), but the second disk gives exactly the same problems.

Any suggestions how I might get around this? I was thinking of putting a 
disk into an Ultra 60, trying to label it there, and then hope it works 
in the SS20. Not much to loose I guess, but if anyone has any other 
ideas, let me know.

PS. This is a different SS20, and different disks, to the ones I 
mentioned under the thread 'Creating slices - I'm lost.' which 
coincidently seems to have got a disk with a corrupt label.

David Kirkby wrote:
> I've been given a couple of Compaq 36GB disks, one of which I'd like to 
> stick in in SS20.
> 
> I stuck one in an SS20, started installing Solars, but it bombed out 
> with a 'disk is not labeled' type message, and put me at the root prompt.
> 
> I ran format, labeled the disk, then tried another attempt at 
> installation, electing to do a manual reboot, rather than an auto reboot.
> 
> Installation proceeded as normal, I set the size of the various 
> partitions, the file systems were made etc. After the first CD was 
> finished, I got the # prompt, with a message that I would need to insert 
> the second CD after a reboot.
> 
> However, after typing 'reboot' it gave a page or so of odd characters. 
> df would not execute, and basically the system seemed pretty useless. So 
> I  got to the OK prompt, typed 'boot', but get a
> 
> "Can't read disk label"
> 
> error. I've since rebooted from the CD into single user mode, run format 
> from the CD, labeled the disk (for a second time), but any attempt to 
> reboot always gives a message about the disk not being labeled.
> 
> Any ideas if it is possible to get around this problem? Format generates 
> no error messages when labeling the disk, and will 'save' a format.dat 
> file. This is in /var/tmp or similar on the CD, as I can do this with no 
> OS on the disk.
> 
> One of the disks may have been got at (the screws look a little 
> damaged), but the second disk gives exactly the same problems.
> 
> Any suggestions how I might get around this? I was thinking of putting a 
> disk into an Ultra 60, trying to label it there, and then hope it works 
> in the SS20. Not much to loose I guess, but if anyone has any other 
> ideas, let me know.
> 
> PS. This is a different SS20, and different disks, to the ones I 
> mentioned under the thread 'Creating slices - I'm lost.' which 
> coincidently seems to have got a disk with a corrupt label.
> 
> 
> 
> 
These are SCSI disks, right (since they're in an SS20)?  I'd probably
try a low level format on them, preferably after checking the modes
page values.  Perhaps they've got an odd sector size or something
else weird.

-- 
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam.  Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.

CJT wrote:
> David Kirkby wrote:
> 
>> I've been given a couple of Compaq 36GB disks, one of which I'd like 
>> to stick in in SS20.
>>
>> I stuck one in an SS20, started installing Solars, but it bombed out 
>> with a 'disk is not labeled' type message, and put me at the root prompt.
>>
>> I ran format, labeled the disk, then tried another attempt at 
>> installation, electing to do a manual reboot, rather than an auto reboot.
>>
>> Installation proceeded as normal, I set the size of the various 
>> partitions, the file systems were made etc. After the first CD was 
>> finished, I got the # prompt, with a message that I would need to 
>> insert the second CD after a reboot.
<snip>
>> Any suggestions how I might get around this? I was thinking of putting 
>> a disk into an Ultra 60, trying to label it there, and then hope it 
>> works in the SS20. Not much to loose I guess, but if anyone has any 
>> other ideas, let me know.
>>

> These are SCSI disks, right (since they're in an SS20)?  

Yes.

> I'd probably
> try a low level format on them,

Does the term 'low level format' mean anything on Solaris?

> preferably after checking the modes
> page values.  Perhaps they've got an odd sector size or something
> else weird.

Any suggestions as to the best way to reach and check the mode page 
values - and what they should be? I know there are some utilities around 
to poke around in SCSI disks and read/set things, but unless you know 
what you are doing, I think it is quite easy to permanently break disks.

If you can be more specific.

I know once I tried formatting a SCSI disk on a Sun (not at the time 
realising this is rarely necessary). This took too long, so I powered it 
off, to give myself a dead disk (I was a lot greener then). I was unable 
to get it to work in a Sun, but after a 'low level  format' on an 
Adaptec SCSI controller in a PC, it did work under Solaris.

I might try that as a last resort. I'll check jumpers too.

Nothing would surprise me if this Compaq disk is a bit "odd", as Compaq 
servers are a little different to most PCs.

David Kirkby wrote:
> CJT wrote:
> 
>> David Kirkby wrote:
>>
>>> I've been given a couple of Compaq 36GB disks, one of which I'd like 
>>> to stick in in SS20.
>>>
>>> I stuck one in an SS20, started installing Solars, but it bombed out 
>>> with a 'disk is not labeled' type message, and put me at the root 
>>> prompt.
>>>
>>> I ran format, labeled the disk, then tried another attempt at 
>>> installation, electing to do a manual reboot, rather than an auto 
>>> reboot.
>>>
>>> Installation proceeded as normal, I set the size of the various 
>>> partitions, the file systems were made etc. After the first CD was 
>>> finished, I got the # prompt, with a message that I would need to 
>>> insert the second CD after a reboot.
> 
> <snip>
> 
>>> Any suggestions how I might get around this? 
> 
>> I'd probably
>> try a low level format on them,

Done a format in Solaris's format program *without* checking any mode 
pages (since I don't know what to look for), but this did not help.

Can anyone make any other suggestions?

David Kirkby wrote:
> I've been given a couple of Compaq 36GB disks, one of which I'd like to 
> stick in in SS20.
> 
> I stuck one in an SS20, started installing Solars, but it bombed out 
> with a 'disk is not labeled' type message, and put me at the root prompt.

David, continued sympathies regarding labeling of disks :-(

> I ran format, labeled the disk, then tried another attempt at 
> installation, electing to do a manual reboot, rather than an auto reboot.
> 
> Installation proceeded as normal, I set the size of the various 
> partitions, the file systems were made etc. After the first CD was 
> finished, I got the # prompt, with a message that I would need to insert 
> the second CD after a reboot.
> 
> However, after typing 'reboot' it gave a page or so of odd characters. 
> df would not execute, and basically the system seemed pretty useless. So 
> I  got to the OK prompt, typed 'boot', but get a

"a page or so of odd characters" - please describe / show us 
them if possible, although this is prob a green kipper.

> "Can't read disk label"
> 
> error. I've since rebooted from the CD into single user mode, run format 
> from the CD, labeled the disk (for a second time), but any attempt to 
> reboot always gives a message about the disk not being labeled.

Can you just boot single-user off the CD, label the disk, 
check if there is a VTOC present (and if not, create a 
minimal one), halt the system (maybe even power-down and up 
again), boot single-user off the CD again, and see whether 
the VTOC is still there? Could you also verify that the OBP 
settings are set completely correctly for what disk device 
the system is trying to boot from?

Good luck.