[Bug 1916645] [NEW] sfdisk --force says it can correct a size mismatch, but then fails.

Tue Feb 23 19:06:06 UTC 2021

Public bug reported:

Trying to restore a GPT partition table using a dump sfdisk previously
created from a larger disk to a smaller one (but has enough room for the
partitions) fails.  I'm using the --force option to try to make this
work.  It doesn't.  The first line of the output (with added blank lines
for readability) is

GPT PMBR size mismatch (494403583 != 234441647) will be corrected by
write.

this ought to be reassuring, but then I get

Last LBA specified by script is out of range.

Failed to apply script headers, disk label not created.

Leaving.

And there was then a crippled disk label that I had to erase (wipefs) before I could try again.  What actually worked for me was editing the output from --dump to remove the line with "last-lba".  Then it worked without even the warnings.

I would suggest some fixes: (1) don't say it will be corrected if you're not going to finish, (2) don't write a label -- corrupted or not -- if you say "label not created", and (3) make the --force option override all of that and make it work.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: fdisk 2.34-0.1ubuntu9.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-62.70-generic 5.4.78
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-62-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.14
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
Date: Tue Feb 23 10:45:04 2021
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-07-12 (225 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200423)
SourcePackage: util-linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

** Affects: util-linux (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

** Tags: amd64 apport-bug focal

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1916645

Title:
  sfdisk --force says it can correct a size mismatch, but then fails.

Status in util-linux package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Trying to restore a GPT partition table using a dump sfdisk previously
  created from a larger disk to a smaller one (but has enough room for
  the partitions) fails.  I'm using the --force option to try to make
  this work.  It doesn't.  The first line of the output (with added
  blank lines for readability) is

  GPT PMBR size mismatch (494403583 != 234441647) will be corrected by
  write.

  this ought to be reassuring, but then I get

  Last LBA specified by script is out of range.

  Failed to apply script headers, disk label not created.

  Leaving.

  And there was then a crippled disk label that I had to erase (wipefs) before I could try again.  What actually worked for me was editing the output from --dump to remove the line with "last-lba".  Then it worked without even the warnings.

  I would suggest some fixes: (1) don't say it will be corrected if you're not going to finish, (2) don't write a label -- corrupted or not -- if you say "label not created", and (3) make the --force option override all of that and make it work.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
  Package: fdisk 2.34-0.1ubuntu9.1
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-62.70-generic 5.4.78
  Uname: Linux 5.4.0-62-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.14
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
  Date: Tue Feb 23 10:45:04 2021
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-07-12 (225 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200423)
  SourcePackage: util-linux
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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