4TB internal HDD and (Puppy) Linux: myth and truth?
Posted: Wed 01 May 2013, 21:28
I am about to buy new internal HDD with 4TB capacity as second drive (e. g. I do not need to boot from that drive). I want such capacity because I will use it mainly for storing (and processing with Avidemux) DV-AVI files from (traditional) DV camcorder and for backup my files from primary drive.
I have tried to figure out all things related to 2TB limit. But the more articles (Wikipedia, Western Digital, Seagate sites and others) I read the more I am confused. Maybe this is also because English is not my native language. Also information at WDC and Seagete are mostly Windows oriented (manufactures' tools, too). Therefore I would greatly appreciate if someone knowledgeable can confirm or correct or supplement summary bellow. Also practical experience/guide from users having such HDD under Puppy are welcome. I think many others will also be interested as HDD larger than 2TB are quite common nowadays.
1. Scenario A: 2 x 2TB partitions on drive - using "traditional" MBR
I would prefer to have one 4TB partition (scenario B) but this may simplify many things. This scenario should work on (almost) any reasonable recent Puppy version (32 or 64 bit) - is it true?
- Even so, should I pay attention how to align each partition? (and if yes, how exactly?).
- I know that MBR can have up to 4 primary partitions. But anyway, should I create just two primary partitions or should I create 1st partition, then logical partition and second partition inside this logical partition?
- Any other issues related to that scenario?
2. Scenario B: 1 x 4TB partition - using GUID Partition Table (GPT)
- Linux supports GPT also on PC with traditional BIOS
- But this is not clear at all. Can 32 bit Linux also access such partition? Or is 64 bit version (like FatDog) necessary?
3. Puppy version, kernel version, GParted version, others
- Which Puppy and kernel versions are necessary for Scenario A or B?
- Which version of GParted is necessary and which version are in major version of Puppy (like Wary/Racy, Slacko etc.)?
- Boot loader version with support for GPT is not important for secondary drive? Is it true?
- Are all HDD larger than 2TB currently on the market using 4KB sectors but present it to OS as 512B (so called Advanced format: 512e version)?
- Any other program are needed in specific version?
- Any other issue I am not aware of?
4. My current hardware and software
- My PC is neither new or very old (about 3 year old).
- Motherboard: Asus M3A78-EM, AMD780G
- Memory: A-Data DDR2 800 MHz, 2 GB (in single chip), processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4850+, HDD WDC WD10EADS (= 1 TB)
- Puppy version: I still use Quirky (not new 5.x) most of the time (it simple works very well... ), I also use Slacko Puppy (5.3 for some reason): mainly when I need to do some statistics in R. I do plan to switch to some newer version of Puppy but it is related with lot of work. Maybe the new HDD will be the ultimate reason for the upgrade.
5. 4TB HDD on the market suitable HDD I am aware of:
- Seagate Pipeline HD 4TB HDD, SATA / 600, NCQ, 64MB cache, 24x7, 5900 RPM (product No: ST4000VM000)
- Western Digital currently only have 4TB HDD in "Black line" (WD CAVIAR BLACK WD4001FAEX 4TB SATA / 600 64MB cache): faster, but too expensive and not necessary for me
- Western Digital 4TB in Green or AV lines are announced to be available "in summer" (according to article in our country)
I would choose either Seagate Pipeline or WDC Green (or AV) if available soon.
Thank you all in advance if you can confirm or correct information or write you practical experiences with some large HDD in Puppy Linux.
I have tried to figure out all things related to 2TB limit. But the more articles (Wikipedia, Western Digital, Seagate sites and others) I read the more I am confused. Maybe this is also because English is not my native language. Also information at WDC and Seagete are mostly Windows oriented (manufactures' tools, too). Therefore I would greatly appreciate if someone knowledgeable can confirm or correct or supplement summary bellow. Also practical experience/guide from users having such HDD under Puppy are welcome. I think many others will also be interested as HDD larger than 2TB are quite common nowadays.
1. Scenario A: 2 x 2TB partitions on drive - using "traditional" MBR
I would prefer to have one 4TB partition (scenario B) but this may simplify many things. This scenario should work on (almost) any reasonable recent Puppy version (32 or 64 bit) - is it true?
- Even so, should I pay attention how to align each partition? (and if yes, how exactly?).
- I know that MBR can have up to 4 primary partitions. But anyway, should I create just two primary partitions or should I create 1st partition, then logical partition and second partition inside this logical partition?
- Any other issues related to that scenario?
2. Scenario B: 1 x 4TB partition - using GUID Partition Table (GPT)
- Linux supports GPT also on PC with traditional BIOS
- But this is not clear at all. Can 32 bit Linux also access such partition? Or is 64 bit version (like FatDog) necessary?
3. Puppy version, kernel version, GParted version, others
- Which Puppy and kernel versions are necessary for Scenario A or B?
- Which version of GParted is necessary and which version are in major version of Puppy (like Wary/Racy, Slacko etc.)?
- Boot loader version with support for GPT is not important for secondary drive? Is it true?
- Are all HDD larger than 2TB currently on the market using 4KB sectors but present it to OS as 512B (so called Advanced format: 512e version)?
- Any other program are needed in specific version?
- Any other issue I am not aware of?
4. My current hardware and software
- My PC is neither new or very old (about 3 year old).
- Motherboard: Asus M3A78-EM, AMD780G
- Memory: A-Data DDR2 800 MHz, 2 GB (in single chip), processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4850+, HDD WDC WD10EADS (= 1 TB)
- Puppy version: I still use Quirky (not new 5.x) most of the time (it simple works very well... ), I also use Slacko Puppy (5.3 for some reason): mainly when I need to do some statistics in R. I do plan to switch to some newer version of Puppy but it is related with lot of work. Maybe the new HDD will be the ultimate reason for the upgrade.
5. 4TB HDD on the market suitable HDD I am aware of:
- Seagate Pipeline HD 4TB HDD, SATA / 600, NCQ, 64MB cache, 24x7, 5900 RPM (product No: ST4000VM000)
- Western Digital currently only have 4TB HDD in "Black line" (WD CAVIAR BLACK WD4001FAEX 4TB SATA / 600 64MB cache): faster, but too expensive and not necessary for me
- Western Digital 4TB in Green or AV lines are announced to be available "in summer" (according to article in our country)
I would choose either Seagate Pipeline or WDC Green (or AV) if available soon.
Thank you all in advance if you can confirm or correct information or write you practical experiences with some large HDD in Puppy Linux.