create partition table

vbx_wx · 07-27-2010, 08:47 AM

Hello,i have a problem with one hard disk,now it says its Unallocated,and i tried to create a new partition on it,but it says that first i need to create a partition table,but when i create one,choosing msdos label,it doesnt to nothing. I used Gparted in Fedora,how can i create a partition table,so i can use my hard disk again?

amani · 07-27-2010, 08:55 AM

Start the system from a live cd like parted magic and do it.

You need to create the table and then the partitions as root user in Fedora ... parted will be better

pixellany · 07-27-2010, 08:56 AM

A tool like GParted will automatically create the partition table when you create one or more partitions.

What do you mean when you say "it doesn't do anything". What exactly happens? (Note that--with typical partitioning tools, you have to tell it explicity to write the new partition table.

You can also try something fdisk or cfdisk.

(And why do you want a partition with an "msdos label"?)

vbx_wx · 07-27-2010, 09:05 AM

Well because i dont know what laber to choose ...so i let the default label..and when i give it to create partition table it says "Searching /dev/sda devices..." and thne it stops,wih no result,i also used fdisk...nothing

vbx_wx · 07-27-2010, 09:16 AM

If i choose gpt it searches /dev/sdb too,what label should i choose ???? on my /dev/sda i have windows 7 and and /dev/sdb i want to install Fedora.

crts · 07-27-2010, 01:27 PM

Hi,

Code:

parted /dev/sdb mklabel msdos
parted /dev/sdb mkpart primary ext2 0 10000

should create a new msdos label and a partition of size 10000 MB on /dev/sdb. Make sure that /dev/sdb is indeed the hdd you want to install on. Also make sure that there is no important data on /dev/sdb since it will be destroyed (the data that is, not the hdd itself).
Afterwards you can format the newly created partition /dev/sdb1 with mke2fs.

AwesomeMachine · 07-27-2010, 02:34 PM

For Linux on a PC, you should use MSDOS type label. Choosing the label can be confusing.

saikee · 07-27-2010, 03:38 PM

Make sure you know what a gpt disk is before you use it.

pixellany · 07-28-2010, 08:00 AM

I'm confused...

None of my Linux partitions have labels---why would a label be needed?

For the OP: Are you still using GParted? If not, then which utility are you using?

saikee · 07-28-2010, 10:56 AM

pixellany,

Two things need clarification

(1) Some distros, like those from the Red Hat family, are keen with booting to a label and dislike the normal device name like /dev/sdax. They would create labels as this page in cfdisk shows. The labels can get complicated as more digits have to add to make each one unique.

Code:

                                                                cfdisk 2.12r

                                                            Disk Drive: /dev/hda
                                                     Size: 300090728448 bytes, 300.0 GB
                                            Heads: 255   Sectors per Track: 63   Cylinders: 36483

       Name                 Flags               Part Type         FS Type                       [Label]                  Size (MB)
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       hda30                                     Logical          Linux ext3                    [/1234567]                 5000.98
       hda31                                     Logical          Linux ext3                    [/]                        5000.98
       hda32                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda33                                     Logical          Linux ext3                    [/123456789101120]         5000.98
       hda34                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda35                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda36                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda37                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda38                                     Logical          Linux ext3                    [SLAMPP]                   5000.98
       hda39                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda40                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda41                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda42                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda43                                     Logical          Linux ReiserFS                                           5000.98
       hda44                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda45                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda46                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda47                                     Logical          Linux ext3                    [/123456]                  5000.98
       hda48                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda49                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda50                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda51                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda52                                     Logical          Linux ext3                    [/123456789101117]         5000.98
       hda53                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda54                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda55                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda56                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                               5000.98
       hda57                                     Logical          Linux ext3                                              10001.95

        [Bootable]  [ Delete ]  [  Help  ]  [Maximize]  [ Print  ]  [  Quit  ]  [  Type  ]  [ Units  ]  [ Write  ]

In my old box with 145 operating systems the labels used are

Code:

root@KanotixBox:/home/saikee# ls /dev/disk
by-id  by-label  by-path  by-uuid
root@KanotixBox:/home/saikee# ls /dev/disk/by-label
12    12345    12345678     1234567891011    123456789101114  123456789101117  123456789101120  123456789101124  HDA1
123   123456   123456789    123456789101112  123456789101115  123456789101118  123456789101121  400Gb-end-Z      SLAMPP
1234  1234567  12345678910  123456789101113  123456789101116  123456789101119  123456789101123  Ark              WIN3-11

If I have a need to alter a Grub I always change the label back to the normal device name. Can't remember seeing Lilo using label on a Linux though.

(2) The Parted sofware uses "label" to distinguish the two partitioning schemes of "msdos" and "gpt". That is just using label for a different reason. 99% of us use only the msdos disk. gpt disks are not detectable by many Linux software and can't be booted by most Windows. Only 64-bit version Windows can boot a gpt disk and this can only be done with efi hardware in the mobo. Linux can boot gpt disks a long time ago. It is only used for partitions and hard disks larger than 2TB at the moment but can have 128 partitions maximum.