Subject: bug#34353: GNU Parted 3.2 – A 'loop' as partition table is reported as result from an mkfs.ext4 function

From: Ricky Tigg <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2019 22:38:38 +0100

Hi. Initial situation:

(parted) print
Error: /dev/sdc: unrecognised disk label
Model: Kingston DataTraveler 102 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdc: 8007MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: unknown
Disk Flags:

Then on purpose I attempted to execute the following command without
creating previously to it a partition table. Its execution shouldn't have
been possible since a partition table is required before partitions can be
added to a device. Though it was executed.

# mkfs.ext4 -FL 'USB' '/dev/sdc'

As result *no partition table* is supposed to be created neither possible
to be created using above mentioned command. However as result of that
execution, *Parted* reports 'Partition Table: loop'. while expected result
would be *none.*

(parted) print
Model: Kingston DataTraveler 102 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdc: 8007MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: loop
Disk Flags:

Number  Start  End     Size    File system  Flags
 1      0.00B  8007MB  8007MB  ext4

For comparison *Gparted* interpretation – Partition Table: none  with an
*ext4* file system created  – as illustrated in attachment. That is neither
practically possible. Regards.