Resizing Existing Linux Partition (ext3)
 

Hi, when I setup Red Hat I set a specific size for it. But now I would like to give it more space (resize it) with free space from the Windows partition. I've tried using Resize w/ Partition Magic 8, but no luck, it won't resize a ext3 partition.

Is there any other way? suggestions?

As long as the Windows is FAT, you could try

http://www.gnu.org/software/parted/parted.html

I always had good luck with it though it was mostly ext2 and DOS, rather than ext3 and Windows. As long as the Windows isn't NTFS, it should be good. With parted (Linux), presizer (DOS) and fdisk (DOS and Linux) or cfdisk, I've been able to do most anything I wanted, even if it meant deleting a partition out from under a filesystem and recreating it at a different size with the data still intact. (Not recommended, though.)

so I can use the parted to resize the existing ext3 partition w/o worrying about losing/corrupting data?

you have to worry about losing/corrupting data with
any partition resizer. that's why you're supposed to backup
data. you WILL at some point have a hard drive crash,
and it's up to you how much you will lose when that
happens.
parted works ok. also, you can convert the ext3 to ext2
easily, and use partition magic on it if you want.

On the contrary, I was unable to resize an ext3 partition in Partition Magic 8 (in windows).

As for backing up, how would I do that from within windows?

I think he means you can deconvert ext3 to ext2 to make PM happy. I don't know - I've only converted the other way, but check tune2fs and see if it says anything about deconverting.

And whansard's definitely right. $h!t happens, so always be prepared with good backups. Nothing's guaranteed even if PM is guaranteed. *g* You'd still have to reinstall if anything went wrong, even if PM would give you your money back.

All that being said, I've yet to lose anything by using parted.

actually PM 8 will let you do partition functions on ext3. you're just lucky that for some reason it wouldn't let you. ;)

i've used PM 8 to successfully resize and move my linux partition twice to make my linux partition big enough to handle .vob files generated from dvdrip. the last time i used PM 8, the friggin' program corrupted my ext3 journal (as in deleted it because PM 8 generated and wrote some friggin' errors to some inodes and stopped. the display showed my once ext3 filesystem as an ext2 filesystem) causing linux to be unbootable, unrepairable, and un-upgradeble (think windows dirty install). have never used it since. if you ask me, you're lucky PM 8 won't let you work on your ext3 linux partition. ;)

if you want to convert ext3 to ext2
this is how you do it. do it from a rescue disk,
NOT with the partition mounted. I guess if
you had to you could be mounted read only.
that tune2fs has weird options names doesn't it.

tune2fs -O ^has_journal /dev/hdaX
fsck -f /dev/hdaX

So you're suggesting that I:

1) Convert to ext2
2) use PM8 to resize
3) Convert back to ext3?

i was just telling you how, not suggesting.
parted would probably be best.

When will people learn? :p

GNUParted is the best way to resize.

http://www.gnu.org/software/parted/parted.html

I'm attempting to use parted as described on this forum with no avail. I continuously get the error:

The file system is ext3. I've tried the knoppix 3.2 disk which now only includes qtparted which doesn't support ext3. I downloaded, burned, and am now running Mepis (debian based, similar to knoppix) which includes a 1.6 version of parted which gives the error described above.

Any ideas? I had a hell of a time getting parted on a boot disk as the gnu site is in lockdown with the parted boot images due to the recent hack. Now that I finally have it, its not functioning. What a pain in the arse.

Edit: I changed the ext3 partition to ext2 like so,
tune2fs -O^has_journal
and retried parted, I STILL get the same error on the console. Grrr..

i think there's something else you have to clear to make
it really ext2. i'll look later. that tune2fs command
is horrible isn't it. maybe they don't want anybody running
it that can't figure out how to type it in the first place.

Yeah, I converted to ext2, used resize2fs to shrink the partition as qtparted gave an error (as well as parted), reconverted to ext3, rebooted, and....still no change in partition size. I'm at my wits end on this one. I may have to go to a non-free alternative...that sucks.

did the filesystem get shrunk, but the partition stayed
the same size?