Reed Loefgren <rloef@interfold.com> wrote:
> On a disk with partitions hda1 through hda4, will dd-ing 512 bytes of
> hda and 512 bytes of hda1 produce the same file?

No.
The 512 bytes of hda is the MBR (also called master partition table),
the one for hda1 will get the boot block (block 0) OF that partition.

On _most_ disks the MBR will be cylinder 0, track 0, sector 1 and the
boot block for hda1 0, 1, 1 (so one track further).
The rest of track 0 is unused, except for boot managers.
--
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** Eef Hartman, Delft University of Technology, dept. EWI/TW **
** e-mail: E.J.M.Hartman@math.tudelft.nl, fax: +31-15-278 7295 **
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