[SOLVED] Horrible issues with /var size

Starfall · 2011-09-03 19:39:37

Hello everyone

Okay, so some of you might have seen a thread I had recently:

bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=125599

I was experiencing some issues with pacman's cache because my /var partition is too small.

This is now causing all kinds of problems with my system. I installed a package from extra and it broke my system, it wasn't in fact the package that actually broke my system, it was the data created by this process in /var.

I manually cleared out some stuff in my /var and managed to get back into the desktop.

So, the verdict is; I wan't to remove this separate /var partition and just have /var under /(root). Could anyone advise how I can go about removing my /var partition and having /var in my /(root) ?

Thanks in advance, any help is greatly appreciated!

Last edited by Starfall (2011-09-04 03:00:11)

Ashren · 2011-09-03 19:46:36

Boot with a livecd. Finnix is good and arch is will also do the job.

mkdir /mnt/root
mount /dev/sd<rootdevice> /mnt/root
mkdir /mnt/root/var
mkdir /mnt/oldvar
mount /dev/sd<vardevice> /mnt/oldvar
cp -a /mnt/oldvar/* /mnt/root/var/
vi /mnt/root/fstab (remove old var mp)
umount /mnt/*
reboot

Or just switch to LVM2 and you can extend your mp's on the fly.

Lone_Wolf · 2011-09-03 19:49:42

1. backup your current /var
2. boot from a livecd, copy the contents of your /var partition to a new /var folder on the root partition
3. edit your fstab and comment out the line mounting /var on the separate partition
4. boot arch and check if things work
5. if succesfull, remove the /var partition and increase the root partition

Last edited by Lone_Wolf (2011-09-03 19:50:03)

Starfall · 2011-09-03 19:52:44

Thanks for the swift reply Ashren! I think I can manage that

After I've performed the above, will I need to tell Arch were the new /var is? Or will it just pick it up automatically?

Also, as my /var is actually a seperate partition, will it break my system, after I've done the above, if I extend my /(root) to take up the rest of the space?

EDIT:

Just saw Lone_Wolf's post, thanks very much for this guys!

Last edited by Starfall (2011-09-03 19:53:40)

Starfall · 2011-09-04 02:59:59

Did as you guys suggested and that's fixed it!

Now I just need to get rid of the old /var partition and expand the root partition (would be nice if Gparted Live would boot with freakin' NVidia cards!)

Thanks for the help

Arch Linux

#1 2011-09-03 19:39:37

[SOLVED] Horrible issues with /var size

#2 2011-09-03 19:46:36

Re: [SOLVED] Horrible issues with /var size

#3 2011-09-03 19:49:42

Re: [SOLVED] Horrible issues with /var size

#4 2011-09-03 19:52:44

Re: [SOLVED] Horrible issues with /var size

#5 2011-09-04 02:59:59

Re: [SOLVED] Horrible issues with /var size

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