Arch Linux

goodboy

Member

Registered: 2007-02-23

Posts: 34

Failure to move / resize fat32 partitions less than 256 MB in size

According to this bug report
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=649324#c4
there's a limitation in gparted in regard to resizing fat32 partitions.

But there exists a workaround (comment #4 of the bug report)

Status Update:

The inability to resize FAT16/FAT32 file systems that are less than 256 MB remains.

Workaround:  Resizing FAT16/FAT32 Partitions (less than 256 MB)
---------------------------------------------------------------

  1.  Backup the data in the FAT16/FAT32 partition
  2.  Reformat the partition to EXT4
  3.  Resize EXT4 partition to desired partition size
  4.  Reformat the partition back to FAT16/FAT32
  5.  Restore the FAT16/FAT32 files from backup

Note that if you use file system labels you may wish to re-label the partition at this time.

My question is how should I go about #1 (Backup the data in the FAT16/FAT32 partition)?

1. I want to backup the entire boot partition /dev/sde1 into a single image file, including the MBR.
2. Apply the workaround and get everything back without messing up the partition table.
3. The current partition layout has 2 tiny 1 mib sized areas.
For some reason I couldn't bring gparted to join them with /dev/sde2. I think is due to the 1mib alignment rule?     
How can I extend /dev/sde2 to include the "left overs"? (see next screenshot)

Screenshot of the current partition table after the failure
https://imgur.com/a/H7XUoMI

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Dd … nd_restore

Gparted log output... [glad to hear they are working on it ]

grow partition from 64.00 MiB to 500.00 MiB  00:00:00    ( SUCCESS )
     	
old start: 2048
old end: 133119
old size: 131072 (64.00 MiB)
new start: 2048
new end: 1026047
new size: 1024000 (500.00 MiB)
grow file system to fill the partition  00:00:00    ( ERROR )
     	
using libparted
libparted messages    ( ERROR )
     	
GNU Parted cannot resize this partition to this size. We're working on it!

Complete gparted html report
https://output.jsbin.com/xotuduveva

Last edited by goodboy (2020-02-10 18:33:01)

goodboy

Member

Registered: 2007-02-23

Posts: 34

Re: Failure to move / resize fat32 partitions less than 256 MB in size

Is it necessary to create a backup of the partition table?

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fd … tion_table

Or is this already enough for recovering the boot partition (/dev/sde1)?

dd if=/dev/sde1  of=/home/user/partition.image.gz bs=64K conv=noerror,sync status=progress
...
gunzip -c /home/user/partition.image.gz | dd of=/dev/sde1

Notes: /dev/sde1, contains MBR, syslinux, fat32, old size ~64MB new size ~500MB

Thanks!

Last edited by goodboy (2020-02-10 20:53:51)

goodboy

Member

Registered: 2007-02-23

Posts: 34

Re: Failure to move / resize fat32 partitions less than 256 MB in size

anyone maybe? unclear or too trivial?

I just want a second opinion before I ruin everything 
Thanks!

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 20,258

Re: Failure to move / resize fat32 partitions less than 256 MB in size

You won't encounter a lack of response because some thing is too simple.  It could be that no one has found themselves in this condition.
It is also possible that there are some issues with your posts.

For example, /dev/sde1 will not have an MBR;  /dev/sde might.  As such, a causal reader might be confused as to what you are trying to do. 

Second, before trying to resize any partition on a disk other than one you might use for scraping mud off your shoe, you should have a solid, tested backup of that partition.   When things go pear shaped you can at least reformat and reload.   To do otherwise is playing Russian roulette with your data.

Providing advice on how to proceed knowing that you don't seem to have a backup, and that you could hurt yourself, would be less than ethical.

---

Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday
Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
---
How to Ask Questions the Smart Way

goodboy

Member

Registered: 2007-02-23

Posts: 34

Re: Failure to move / resize fat32 partitions less than 256 MB in size

Fair enough, though anyone should feel free to ask

You're of course right it should have been /dev/sde, sorry for the confusion. And the disk is vanilla. I'm not going to loose my sleep over it if this goes south.

I just need a second pair of eyes in case I didnt get the whole picture.

DRY -> https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 6#p1887096

Thanks!

Last edited by goodboy (2020-02-12 18:39:22)