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Old 10-08-2005, 06:28 PM   #1
dudeman41465
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Resizing Root Partition


I have found that having a 5 GB root partition is just a little on the small side, but when I tried re-installing Linux (had only had it installed for like 2 days so I didn't lose a lot) it wouldn't let me make the root partition any bigger than 5 GB even if I reduced the size of the home partition to give it space to be bigger. I don't want to re-install Linux again because I've gotten quite a bit done to it and was just wondering if, in the case of filling my root partition, there is a way to resize the partitions without losing any data or re-installing. I still have 1.4 GB free on my root partition so I'm good to go right now and it's not an emergency, but it would be handy to know.
 
Old 10-08-2005, 06:35 PM   #2
jailbait
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"when I tried re-installing Linux (had only had it installed for like 2 days so I didn't lose a lot) it wouldn't let me make the root partition any bigger than 5 GB even if I reduced the size of the home partition to give it space to be bigger."

The partition has to be contiguous. If the free space is not right at the end of the partition you are trying to enlarge then you cannot enlarge it.

----------------------------
Steve Stites
 
Old 10-08-2005, 06:46 PM   #3
dudeman41465
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Oh, so after resizing the home partition, I should have moved the swap partition over to meet the beginning of the home partition and put the empty space next to the end of the root partition. I thought it would do that automatically. Is that right?
 
Old 10-08-2005, 11:06 PM   #4
jailbait
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"I thought it would do that automatically."

No, it (whatever it is) won't.

-----------------------------
Steve Stites
 
Old 10-09-2005, 03:48 AM   #5
1kyle
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Resising CAN be done providing you have 2 sets of tools (Windows and Partition Manager) and your Linux install disk.

so do the following

1) Boot into Windows.
2) Run Partition Manager to Move / resize your Linux partitions --you can even move on to a different Disk.
3) Now boot your Linux Install disk --and choose 'Recover / Repair system".

The recovery will adjust the fstab entries (necessary if you've moved the partitions) and re-create the GRUB boot loader --also necesssary as the pointers will have changed.

Then you are away to go.

Incidentally if you have something like GHOST or ACRONIS true Image (V9 --Desktop version not the Server edition) you can create backup partition images of your LINUX partitions as well as Windows and it's great for recovery -- saves a load of re-installs etc etc --and with acronis you can make bootable media so you can recover even if you hose up the whole system.
(http://www.acronis.com)

I don't buy much commercial software -- but I really can recommend this package --it saves so much time and hassle -- it takes around 3 mins to restore an 8 GB Linux partition from Disk and around 10 - 15 mins from a DVD..

If you do restore partitions this way you'll still need to re-run the "repair" function to re-create GRUB.

Cheers

-K

Last edited by 1kyle; 10-09-2005 at 03:51 AM.
 
Old 10-09-2005, 04:36 AM   #6
linmix
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If you want a free alternative for GHOST have a look at partimage. Nice linux tool that wil make partition images and even cut it in blocks the size you can burn on cds or dvds.

As for resizing partitions, qtparted (gui frontend of parted) generally does a nice job. Haven't found out how to move partitions in linux yet, though. I've been meaning to ask about it and now is as good a time as ever.
 
  


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