Re: Can't *write* to a hard disk, problem related to GEOM(4)?

>>>>>> /dev/ad10 was previously part of a hardware miror (ar(4) device
>>>>>> with a HighPoint HPT374 (channel 2+3) UDMA133 controller), but
>>>>>> since it was broken for an unknown reason, thid drive is no more
>>>>>> usable, even alone. For example, I am not be able to create a new
>>>>>> slice on it.

>>>>> Could you try to compile a kernel without the ar(4) driver in it ?
>>>>> It may still be latching on to this disk...

>>>> Since the ar(4) driver is part of ata(4) generic ATA/ATAPI disk
>>>> controller driver, I don't think it is possible to do that without
>>>> shooting myself on the foot. Any ideas?

>>> Could you post output from:
>>> 	# sysctl -b kern.geom.confxml

>> Sure. Because the output is 1128 lines long, the output is attached.

> It doesn't look like a GEOM problem:
>         <provider id="0xc6cad980">
>           <geom ref="0xc6cad880"/>
>           <mode>r0w0e0</mode>
>           <name>ad10</name>
>           <mediasize>122942324736</mediasize>
>           <sectorsize>512</sectorsize>
>           <config>
>             <fwheads>16</fwheads>
>             <fwsectors>63</fwsectors>
>           </config>
>         </provider>
>
> As you can see, this provider is not opened (r0w0e0).
>
> Try to set kern.geom.debugflags to 4. It will show you all access
> requests.

With kern.geom.debugflags set to 4, here is what I get when I try to:
 # fdisk -BI ad10
 ******* Working on device /dev/ad10 *******
 fdisk: can't write fdisk partition table: Operation not permitted

 # tail -50 /var/log/messages
 [...]
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: g_dev_open(ad10, 1, 8192, 0xc6f93dc0)
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: g_access_rel(0xc6a8b300(ad10), 1, 0, 0)
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: open delta:[r1w0e0] old:[r0w0e0]
  provider:[r0w0e0] 0xc6cad980(ad10)
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: g_disk_access(ad10, 1, 0, 0)
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: g_dev_open(ad10s1, 1, 8192, 0xc6f93dc0)
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: g_access_rel(0xc6a76f00(ad10s1), 1, 0, 0)
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: open delta:[r1w0e0] old:[r0w0e0]
  provider:[r0w0e0] 0xc6cae080(ad10s1)
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: g_access_rel(0xc6a8b380(ad10), 1, 0, 1)
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: open delta:[r1w0e1] old:[r0w0e0]
  provider:[r1w0e0] 0xc6cad980(ad10)
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: g_disk_access(ad10, 1, 0, 1)
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: g_dev_close(ad10, 1, 8192, 0xc6f93dc0)
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: g_access_rel(0xc6a8b300(ad10), -1, 0, 0)
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: open delta:[r-1w0e0] old:[r1w0e0]
  provider:[r2w0e1] 0xc6cad980(ad10)
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: g_disk_access(ad10, -1, 0, 0)
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: g_dev_close(ad10s1, 1, 8192, 0xc6f93dc0)
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: g_access_rel(0xc6a76f00(ad10s1), -1, 0, 0)
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: open delta:[r-1w0e0] old:[r1w0e0]
  provider:[r1w0e0] 0xc6cae080(ad10s1)
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: g_access_rel(0xc6a8b380(ad10), -1, 0, -1)
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: open delta:[r-1w0e-1] old:[r1w0e1]
provider:[r1w0e1] 0xc6cad980(ad10)
 Apr 16 14:27:53 bento kernel: g_disk_access(ad10, -1, 0, -1)

 # sysctl -b kern.geom.confxml
 [...]
    <geom id="0xc6cad600">
      <class ref="0xc08df920"/>
      <name>ad10</name>
      <rank>2</rank>
      <config>
      </config>
        <consumer id="0xc6a8b380">
          <geom ref="0xc6cad600"/>
          <provider ref="0xc6cad980"/>
          <mode>r0w0e0</mode>
          <config>
          </config>
        </consumer>
        <provider id="0xc6cae080">
          <geom ref="0xc6cad600"/>
          <mode>r0w0e0</mode>
          <name>ad10s1</name>
          <mediasize>122942292480</mediasize>
          <sectorsize>512</sectorsize>
          <config>
            <index>0</index>
            <length>122942292480</length>
            <seclength>240121665</seclength>
            <offset>32256</offset>
            <secoffset>63</secoffset>
            <type>165</type>
          </config>
        </provider>
    </geom>

I don't kow how to interpret all of these debug informations. Are
something inresting here, or can I give you some other information
or command output?

Thanks,
-- 
-jpeg.