using partition utilities...
 

Hi, I am having trouble getting any partition utilities to work. It seems that I can break and resize a partition, but creating a new partition after that is impossible. It seems like these partition utilities should just have a "create new partition" option but they dont. So could someone please either tell me what to do after resizing, or tell me how to use the console to reparition?

Which paritition utilitys are you using? cfdisk doesn't allow for resizing (not very easily) but removing/reformating/creating partitions is a breeze.

REALLY quick overview of cfdisk:
1) start the command line, type cfdisk and the hard drive- probably hda. so: cfdisk /dev/hda
2) you can now see the partition table- arrow keys up/down to choose the partition, arrow keys left/right to select the menu option, enter to execute menu option.
3) remember you need to "write" for any changes to happen.

hope this helps
titanium_geek

Okay, that all worked out great, except I still dont know what to do to make a new partition. Maybe I am just stupid, but it seems like a "new partition" option would just be explicit. So I got my boot, my swap, and my data partition. Without destroiyng ANY of those three partitions, how do I create a new one? I went through the help menu and saw that by typing "n" it SHOULD create a new one from free space. Now the only problem is that it says there is no free space. Well if they mean there is no free space left on my drive that is not partitioned they would be correct. Most people dont just leave parts of their drives sitting around uselessly. If they mean that my hard drive is full, they are WRONG. My hard drive is mostly empty.

These partition utilities are nuts! I am going to school for programming, and one of the first programs I hope to write is a partitioning utility. One which asks you what size partition you want, and just makes it, automatically resizing the others. Is there ANY reason why it can't be THAT simple? I don't see any reason why it can't...

A nice description of fdisk;

http://bitbenderforums.com/vb22/show...?postid=311808

As titanium_geek already wrote fdisk (or cfdisk) is not the tool you want for resizing an existing partition if you value the data on that partition. Maybe take a look at parted ?
There might be more convenient tools for this job (I don't know) but parted and fdisk have worked for me. I hear 'partition magic' is nice.

Are you doing this to install a new linux? if it is anything like mandriva, then it has a great resize/new partition tool. (in the install)

Re "write great utopian partition tool" - in a perfect world, that would be great, but in the real world... you don't want things to run without asking. :)

Re: "but there is free space" - nope- it's taken up by the partitions. :)

Remember you can use multiple partitioning tools to get the job done- on your tool that "won't make new partions" resize and leave the free space, then use cfdisk/other to make the new partition.

hope this helps. (most tools require empty space to make new partitions. :) )

titanium_geek

The distro I am trying to install is Mepis 1.2.1-1, and yes it comes with QT parted. But QT parted for all intensive purposes does nothing. I thought at first that it was at least resizing, but come to find out it just acts like it is resizing and fools you.

for most partitioning tools, you can fiddle around with it without doing anything- you have to WRITE to make any lasting changes.

titanium_geek
(ps- the phrase is intents and purposes, not intensive purposes. :) just for future reference)