[RESOLVED] GUID Partition Table Header signature is wrong: 0x0 != 0x5452415020494645

When you boot up a Pogoplug which has a USB disk attached that is larger than 2TB you get these error messages:
GPT: first_usable_lba incorrect: 22 > 0
part_print_efi: *** ERROR: Invalid GPT ***
GUID Partition Table Header signature is wrong: 0x0 != 0x5452415020494645
part_print_efi: *** ERROR: Invalid Backup GPT ***

and the Pogoplug will refuse to boot Linux from that disk. The only way that worked was to boot the Pogoplug from a smaller disk, even if the rootfs and other partitions were on a 2+TB disk. It is the /boot directory that must be readable by u-boot; the rootfs partition is read by the Linux, so it can be anywhere.

The root cause of this problem is that the u-boot code does not have any support for disks larger than 2TB. These disks must be formatted with a GPT partition table, but the GPT is not the problem; the size of the disk is the problem.


This update has been tested on several large disks, including 3TB and 8TB disks. Also tested with GPT formatted disks smaller than 2TB.

Also in this patch are some changes that will improve the USB disk detection and let u-boot work with some USB disks that it failed on before.

I have created a modified version of uboot.2017.07-tld-1....bodhi.tar, one for Pogo E02 and one for Pogo V4. Both kwb's and the patchfile are in one tarball. Flash this new uboot according to the instuctions here: https://forum.doozan.com/read.php?3,12381 At "A. Flashing Instruction:"

Download link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5ezx8dljw2kunm1/uboot.2017.07-bigdisk.tar.gz?dl=0
(You can download without logging in or having an account.)
Also attached to this post.

The patchfile applies to this source: u-boot-kirkwood-2017.07-kirkwood-tld-1.zip

Hi Ray,

I'm afraid that you have solved a non-problem. I've tried to mention this to you a few times :)

Quote
https://forum.doozan.com/read.php?3,12381
2017.07 U-Boot for FDT and Non-FDT Kirkwood Kernel - GoFlexNet, GoFlexHome, PogoE02, Dockstar, iConnect, NetgearStora, PogoV4/Mobile, Sheevaplug, NSA325, NSA320, NSA310S/320S, NSA310, HP-T5325, Dreamplug.

These images support the following latest U-Boot features (among others):

- both FDT and non-FDT kernel booting
- supports EFI/GPT partition > 2TB (SATA and USB) either for booting or just attached.
- boot Ext4 rootfs
- SNTP (Simple NTP to set date time during U-Boot booting)
- bootz (boot with zImage).
- Ability to customize u-boot envs in a script (uEnv.txt) during boot, without committing changes to NAND (see section C for instruction). This feature also can be used for rescue purpose where the u-boot envs were messed up, or when the NAND envs block is bad.

I could be wrong or have overlooked something in particular about a specific Kirkwood box. But then so were many people in this forumm who have been using Kirkwood u-boots since 2013 or 2014. This capability is from mainline code, I did not have to do anything other than configuring it correctly.

If you have problem with u-boot recognizing the 3TB or greater HDD, look at your partition table. It is best to wipe it first. The correct way to format it is to use Linux parted or gparted. Make sure there is no Protective MBR in it, just a single or multiple GPT partition. And beware that a USB enclosure sometime has problem with this.

And after that, if you still can get it to work, then please post the log here.

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
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Here is boot log on Pogo V4.

BTW, thanks to your patch on the EHCI timeout, this USB HDD spun up without problem :) Excellent works.

U-Boot 2017.07-tld-1 (Sep 05 2017 - 00:34:01 -0700)
Pogoplug V4

SoC:   Kirkwood 88F6192_A1
DRAM:  128 MiB
WARNING: Caches not enabled
NAND:  128 MiB
MMC:   MVEBU_MMC: 0
In:    serial
Out:   serial
Err:   serial
Net:   egiga0
Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0 
Pogov4> 

Pogov4> usb start
starting USB...
USB0:   USB EHCI 1.00
scanning bus 0 for devices... 4 USB Device(s) found
       scanning usb for storage devices... 
Use USB retry period from the environment: 15 second(s)

Use USB retry period from the environment: 15 second(s)
2 Storage Device(s) found

Pogov4> usb part

Partition Map for USB device 0  --   Partition Type: DOS

Part	Start Sector	Num Sectors	UUID		Type
  1	2048      	30029202  	ff40d6b1-01	83 Boot


Partition Map for USB device 1  --   Partition Type: EFI

Part	Start LBA	End LBA		Name
	Attributes
	Type GUID
	Partition GUID
  1	0x00000100	0x3a3817cf	"Linux filesystem"
	attrs:	0x0000000000000000
	type:	0fc63daf-8483-4772-8e79-3d69d8477de4
	type:	linux
	guid:	5192d3ed-6b2c-40b3-9075-20232ae0f336

## Unknown partition table type 0

## Unknown partition table type 0

## Unknown partition table type 0

## Unknown partition table type 0

## Unknown partition table type 0

Pogov4> usb storage
  Device 0: Vendor: SanDisk Rev: 1.00 Prod: Ultra Fit
            Type: Removable Hard Disk
            Capacity: 14663.6 MB = 14.3 GB (30031250 x 512)
  Device 1: Vendor: Seagate  Rev: 0503 Prod: Backup+ Desk    
            Type: Hard Disk
            Capacity: 3815447.8 MB = 3726.0 GB (976754645 x 4096)
Pogov4>

EDIT: cleaned up.

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
bodhi's corner (buy bodhi a beer)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2019 06:28PM by bodhi.

Ray,

Thanks for brining this up! I've found a problem in Pogo E02 related to this.

After you've tried the new partition table and can initialize the disk in u-boot, I'll explain further.

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
bodhi's corner (buy bodhi a beer)