resize linux partition

ConfusedMonkey · 07-30-2005, 01:01 PM

hello all,

i need help desperatly

i am running out of room in the linux partition (suse 9.0), and i much increase the size of the partition in order to continue working. ( i didnt know linux takes so much space)

i asked around before and i got 2 answers.

use qtparted and the system rescue disk

when i try to install qtparted it tells me i dont have libparted installed so it stops the installation.

so i went to the sys rescue disk. it booted up alright, when i tried to get qtparted up from there it told me I am not root, and it didnt detect any drives so it wasn't useful.

can someone please explain to me how I can resize the linux partition (take space from windows partition on the same physical drive).

this is very important to me, and i will be extremly grateful for those who will help

thank you,

Guy

Samsara · 07-30-2005, 01:50 PM

Hi Guy,

You'd use something like a Knoppix live cd, on which qtparted is already installed. My experience was that I had to use Knoppix 3.4 and Knoppix 3.9 because they had different versions of qtparted that could do different things, so make sure you have both of them handy.

You may have to start qtparted with a command including the name of the hard disk that you want to repartition, e.g. "qtparted /dev/hda"

Call back when you got that far and are experiencing problems - Knoppix should be connecting to the web just like your normal hardware Linux install.

HTH,

Samsara
.

titanium_geek · 07-30-2005, 01:53 PM

hello! welcome. have you installed libparted? get rid of things you don't need. (g)zip and tar large image files etc. uninstall stuff you don't use. Have you tried a LiveCD to use qtparted (not sys rescue- use knoppix or ubuntu)? you will only need a little bit of space for libparted- so... you can also delete core memory dumps. (if you don't use them, that is.)

titanium_geek

ConfusedMonkey · 07-30-2005, 02:07 PM

hi again,
i'm having a little hard time following.

- i need to get knoppix cd and use it for qtparted and it will work for suse?

- i dont know where to get libparted to i can install it. if anyone can help with that matter, thanks,

thanks again,

Guy

titanium_geek · 07-30-2005, 02:54 PM

ok. The problem is that your hardrive looks like this:

Code:

[----linux---|-----windows--]
and you want it to look like this:
[-----linux-------|-windows-]

and, you can make it be the second using what ever tool. Knoppix is a linux that runs off the CD drive, and then you can use the tool qtparted to resize the linux partition to make it bigger. (you should probably shrink the windows partition first)

OR:
install libparted-
read this:
http://qtparted.sourceforge.net/download.en.html
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...=Google+Search

hope this helps
titanium_geek

ConfusedMonkey · 07-31-2005, 12:20 AM

where/what do I do after i have knoppix cd?

ConfusedMonkey · 07-31-2005, 10:45 AM

ok i found qtparted on knoppix

where can i get help with qtparted? it isnt the most intuitive program around

titanium_geek · 07-31-2005, 11:05 AM

I've quoted this - it was buried...

Quote:

originally posted at http://www.madcarters.com/content/view/1/59/
You are in qtparted. It's not too fancy, but then again it's just a utility. Click hda on the left-top of your screen - now look right...

In the right section of the window you have a graphical representation of your hard drive as well as a list of all your partitions beneath it. If you have only one partition, as this tutorial assumes, then you will only have one line.

Please right-click on the line of text that describes your partition. You will see a menu list (just like in Windows) appear with command options. Choose "resize".

In qtparted you must now "commit" the task.

In the menu bar under the heading "Device" please choose "commit", tell it yes, and watch in technicolor-amazement as your harddrive is resized...well, your giant partition anyway.

I don't know how many programs you have installed on your computer so I cannot begin to guess what size to recommend you shrink your partition to. A reasonable guess would be to 10GB. I am assuming that your kids do not have 13 games installed on the hard drive. Being the responsible and smart computer user that you are you have already decided how big your Windows partition needs to be. It's always better to err on the side of caution in these matters. Especially if you are 13 years old reading this thinking you will impress your parents no end by installing and showing them Linux. If my kid (potentially) nuked 10 years worth of data I might be a little upset. Carpenters like to say, "measure twice, cut once."

first link of a google search- the stuff was buried though.

titanium_geek

ConfusedMonkey · 07-31-2005, 01:46 PM

thanks for the instructions.

i went to the partition i was to increase from. for simplicity drive F is where i cut some space for linux. so now i want to take some more of F and combine it with the linux partition. in order to do that i assume i need to resize F to how much i need it and that will result in my shrinked F windows partition and some free space.

now 2 questions arouse.

do i need to defragment F so all files will be in the front of the partition?

how, using qtparted, i combine my existing linux partition with the free space i just obtained from F (which function in qtparted)?

titanium_geek - thanks for being so patient with me

titanium_geek · 07-31-2005, 02:22 PM

defraging is probably a good idea. You don't need to merge the partitions, you just need to edit fstab. Have a look at it, it is fairly obvious what you need to add. So, linux sees:
[----linux-----|other|---more linux space----]

titanium_geek