Partitioning question [SOLVED]

new2arch · 2009-08-07 23:36:26

Hello all,

If I were to move (with Clonezilla) from a smaller disk to a bigger one, how do I get access to the unused space in the big HDD?
I can only have four primary partitions but my setup has only three and one extended.
Gparted will not allow me to create a fourth primary partition

fdisk -l reveals:

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 12 96358+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 13 3659 29294527+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 3660 3752 747022+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4 3753 38913 282430732+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 3753 28067 195310206 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 28068 29852 14337981 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 29853 38913 72782451 83 Linux

Short-stroking is cool with me but I would like to clear any misconceptions, if, present.

Thanks.

Last edited by new2arch (2009-08-08 12:07:38)

Barrucadu · 2009-08-07 23:50:47

Just resize your partitions to make use of the remaining space.

hbekel · 2009-08-07 23:57:00

An Extended partition is just another primary partition. So you have already reached the limit of four primary partitions for your disk:

/dev/sda1   *           1          12       96358+  83  Linux
/dev/sda2              13        3659    29294527+  83  Linux
/dev/sda3            3660        3752      747022+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4            3753       38913   282430732+   5  Extended

You should be able to enlarge the extended partition and then enlarge the partitions contained within it.

new2arch · 2009-08-08 08:21:26

hbekel wrote:

An Extended partition is just another primary partition. So you have already reached the limit of four primary partitions for your disk:
/dev/sda1   *           1          12       96358+  83  Linux
/dev/sda2              13        3659    29294527+  83  Linux
/dev/sda3            3660        3752      747022+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4            3753       38913   282430732+   5  Extended
You should be able to enlarge the extended partition and then enlarge the partitions contained within it.

Barracudu & hbekel - The extended partition itself cannot be resized, all options are greyed out, same goes with sda5 (contained partition).
Sda 6 and 7 can only shrink.

Last edited by new2arch (2009-08-08 08:21:53)

Maxa · 2009-08-08 09:18:14

You can't resize the extended partition, as there is a mounted partition inside it (/home). You can't probably umount it while X is running, but here's what I have done:

Exit X and log out the normal user, login as root, unmount /home, start X and gparted as root. Of course, I shouldn't encourage anyone to use X as root, but I don't think much damage could be done.

Other option is to use some (gparted, perhaps http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php) live cd. Or use parted

thisoldman · 2009-08-08 09:19:50

I'm too slow. answered above

Last edited by thisoldman (2009-08-08 09:22:17)

new2arch · 2009-08-08 10:07:52

Maxa wrote:

You can't resize the extended partition, as there is a mounted partition inside it (/home). You can't probably umount it while X is running, but here's what I have done:
Exit X and log out the normal user, login as root, unmount /home, start X and gparted as root. Of course, I shouldn't encourage anyone to use X as root, but I don't think much damage could be done.
Other option is to use some (gparted, perhaps http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php) live cd. Or use parted

Thanks Maxa, I'll check it out. Will this operation involve resizing partitions?
Stuff I do with 'su -' is probably pretty much as dangerous as using X as root...As long as my network is offline.

What hbekel wrote made me slap my head and utter a Homer specific "Do'h!:
"An Extended partition is just another primary partition. So you have already reached the limit of four primary partitions for your disk".
During the arch install I did long ago, I should've made two primary partitions and then an extended...of course.

Last edited by new2arch (2009-08-08 10:09:52)

new2arch · 2009-08-08 12:07:19

I followed the tip and logged in as root, unmounted /home, and resized the whole extended partition via gparted, to include the unused space... of course, I made sure sda 5,6,7 were left untouched. I could then create a logical partition out of the unused space and mount it as usual.

Worked well, I think all the integrity of my data is intact.

Also, I'm not experiencing any negative impact in performance (the absent of short-stroking effect).

Thanks.

Last edited by new2arch (2009-08-08 12:13:03)

Arch Linux

#1 2009-08-07 23:36:26

Partitioning question [SOLVED]

#2 2009-08-07 23:50:47

Re: Partitioning question [SOLVED]

#3 2009-08-07 23:57:00

Re: Partitioning question [SOLVED]

#4 2009-08-08 08:21:26

Re: Partitioning question [SOLVED]

#5 2009-08-08 09:18:14

Re: Partitioning question [SOLVED]

#6 2009-08-08 09:19:50

Re: Partitioning question [SOLVED]

#7 2009-08-08 10:07:52

Re: Partitioning question [SOLVED]

#8 2009-08-08 12:07:19

Re: Partitioning question [SOLVED]

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