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

From: Phillip Susi <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2019 13:15:39 -0400

'loop' is an intentional pseudo disklabel that means there is no
partition table.

Ricky Tigg writes:

> 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.