So here's brief story, nearly an hour ago ma 110GB hdd was composited of 55GB Windows XP, extended parttion 35GB (a partition for media and swap), 2GB puppy linux partition and 18GB for debian (whole /).

I wanted to join 10GB from debian/ to media partition and create new 45GB home partition. Unfortunately, unnalocated spaces and extended partitions are bit**es.
So I moved files from mediapartition to windows. Daleted extended partion, shrink debian/. And I ended up with 2 unallocated spaces at different sectors. How can I move them and join into one unallocated space?



Edit: I just got an idea. I will copy debian and puppy linux to first unallocated space. Delete orginal puppy and debian, and the spaces will be close to each other and join. But that's later, I don't have time now. What you guys think?

In the typical partitioning tool, you do not move unallocated space-----you move existing partitions. If you move and/or re-size existing partitions, the unallocated space will take care of itself.

If you don't already have it, get the GParted Live CD. Best tool of its kind (IMNSHO)

Not a good plan....

I have gparted live. But I used gparted from puppy linux live cd. I din't see any difference. I already moved puppy linux (edited fstab of course) the only difference is I have drive mounter in tray. I wanted to delete original puppy using copied puppy. But I didn't realized that gparted in puppy had again problems with ext4 filesystem, error showed and 2GB space I wanted to delete is missing. (I had same problem with gparted in original puppy, but while I was looking for solution it fixed itself). I installed e2fsprogs, but it still doesn't support ext4. But screw puppy, I have few live cds. I don't know what happened to the space though.

Why it's not a good plan?
And I can't move it. Exactly I moving partitions (copy and paste in gparted) so it will take care of itself, I don't see options to move it. Well there's align to cylinder or mib, is that what you talking about? And the first partitions in gparted are the ones closest to the centre (best read/write)? I could move debian to the top, I'm not using windows almost at all.

Edit: I didn't missed any space. I didn't considered that now I have exact copy of partition. And free spaces will be same as before copy/delete process

Ok now I know how to move a partition and understand how it works. But I still have a few questions/

The only way to move primary partition inside to extended partition is to copy and paste, isn't it?

Is the partition that begins in sector 0 have the fastest data access?

If yes, I would have to copy and paste sda1 to last sectors, and then delete original sda1?

I have xp on SDA1 it takes up half the total space, so it would be better if debian would be at first sectors.
My current set up is:
sda1 (windows)
sda2 (puppy linux)
sda4 (debian)
unallocated space.

I want it to be
sda3 (extended:: sda4, swap and home)
sda2
sda1
But I don't know if it's worth the mess. Maybe if I would reinstall XP. I would have hell of unallocated space at first sectors and I could move it forward. Then install xp on unallocated space on last sectors.

I think I'm gonna do it like that:
move sda2 and sda4 towards the end of HDD
move sda1 towards them
create extended partition at unallocated space
copy sda2 and sda4 to exteneded
create a new partition and swap in extended
delete original sda2 and sda4, move sda1 towards the end
grow extended and grow the new partition

What you think?

I've never seen copy and paste in GParted---you simply MOVE the partitions.

You cannot move a primary partition into an extended one. The way to think of it is that an "extended" partition must be one of the first 4 that is allowed, and logical partitions then live within the extended.

Basically, anything that GPArted will allow you to do is probably OK----just be sure all your data is backed up first.

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Right click on partition and there option copy, right click on unnalocated and there's option paste.
Well, I can copy primary partition and paste it in unnalocated space in extended and then it's gonna be logical I guess. I will try it out.
But do you confirm the closer the partition to left, the faster it's accessed?
I don't want to turn my hdd upside down just for nothing.

Yes. It has more data per physical track, meaning both a higher transfer rate and more total data accessible within a short seek distance (which typically results in fewer and/or shorter seeks).

The outer edge of the drive is used for the low addresses and nearer the center for higher addresses.

Modern disk drives have near constant bits per inch. But there are more inches per revolution nearer the outer edge than near the center. So the electronics need to adjust the data rate based on the physical cylinder number, with a higher data rate for low numbered (outer edge) cylinders.

Long ago, disk drives had constant data rates, so bits near the outer edge were physically wider than bits near the center. That makes the electronics simpler, but reduces the total capacity. One of the still in use standards for communicating with the disk assumes that obsolete design with every cylinder the same size, so for a very long time disk drive electronics have translated between fake cylinder/track/sector addressing (with every cylinder the same size) and true varying size cylinders.

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Moved: This thread is more suitable in <Linux-General> and has been moved accordingly to help your thread/question get the exposure it deserves.

I'm almost done. I just need to move windows once again to the right. But I'll do it tomorrow. I will keep the thread unsolved till I'm done with everything.