Hi team,

I am running Ubuntu on a virtual machine (my laptop is used by others at home). Currently, it has been allocated 20 GB. I want to increase this disk space. I have taken the necessary steps on the host OS (Windows). Also, I have edited the partition tables in Linux. My precise question is :

What kind of hard drive should I create:
1. A Linux Swap partition (Id 82);
2. A Linux LVM partition (Id 8e);
3. A Linux partition (Id 83)?
etc.? My aim is to use it just as a normal hard disk space for the end user applications. And pointer to understand the above partitions would be helpful.

Thanks!

We're not on your 'team'
You said you already edited things....so if you've already done it, why ask what you SHOULD do??? And since swap can't be used for end-user storage, and an LVM partition would need other volumes added to it, that leaves you with ONE option...a regular Linux partition. A far better solution would be to back up your data, and spin up another machine with the right sized volumes, and start clean. Less chance for error, and since it's a VM, copying your data from the VM machine to the Windows drive should be very fast.

Or even better, just spin up another VM, do your fresh install there, then copy your data from one to the other, and delete the first one. You probably have more than enough hard drive space.

I am asking what should be done, because I am unable to 'see' this space via the Disk Usage Analyser tools. The tool still reports the old storage space of 20 GBs. So, I have created a new partition (Linux LVM) but it is not visible. Are there any steps that I need to take, so as to render this space usable? Sorry, I am new to Linux and hence this naive question.

Also, creating a new VM would be my last option, since I have made too many changes to the existing one. It would be very difficult for me to re-create those changes in the new VM that I would create.

Not naive, but confusing...saying you've already done it, then asking HOW to do it, is the confusing bit. And since you're using a VM, have you added that new, free space as a disk to the VM??? If the system can't see it, it obviously can't use it.
No, it needs to be your FIRST option. Unless you know how to backup and restore your systems, you're asking for trouble later on. What, exactly, are you going to do if someone else who shares that laptop, accidentally deletes the VM file? Or the disk crashes? Your machine WILL fail at some point.