Installed Ubuntu multiple times by mistake and can't delete partition with GParted
 

Hi

First of all I’m a newbie to Linux and I’ve downloaded 14.02 32 bit Ubuntu and upgraded to 16.04 32 bit. Its working fine now but my disk is almost full because I downloaded it twicw (or maybe three times) by mistake.

I got this info from Tereminal using sudo fdisk -l:

Disk /dev/sda: 111.8 GiB, 120034123776 bytes, 234441648 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x006c006c

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sda1 * 63 136884168 136884106 65.3G 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2 136884222 214972415 78088194 37.2G 5 Extended
/dev/sda4 215896064 234434559 18538496 8.9G 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda5 152602624 210917375 58314752 27.8G 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 210921472 214972415 4050944 2G 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda7 136884224 152602623 15718400 7.5G 83 Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order.

Since there are three Linux entries I presume the /dev/sda5….27.8G partition is the one I did by mistske.

I’m trying to delete it using GParted Partition Editor but having no luck.

When I click my RHM and select Delete I get the following error:

Unable to delete /dev/sda5!

Please unmount any logical partitions having a number higher than 5

Now /dev/sda6 doesn’t have an option to unmount so I did it on /dev/sda7 and got the following error:

Could not unmount /dev/sda7

# umount -v "/"
umount: /: target is busy
(In some cases useful info about processes that
use the device is found by lsof(8) or fuser(1).)

I’ve done this a number of times but get the same errrors every time.

Can anyone please help?

You should use the Gparted live CD to manipulate the partitions.

Can you run the following command and post the output: (use CODE tags, when you do)

If your not sure how to use CODE tags, see this: https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...do=bbcode#code

You can't un-mount the "root" partition while the system is still running. That's why your getting the error message "target is busy".

I ran the code lsblk as you suggested and got this:

NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
sda 8:0 0 111.8G 0 disk
├─sda1 8:1 0 65.3G 0 part
├─sda2 8:2 0 1K 0 part
├─sda4 8:4 0 8.9G 0 part
├─sda5 8:5 0 27.8G 0 part
├─sda6 8:6 0 2G 0 part [SWAP]
└─sda7 8:7 0 7.5G 0 part /
sr0 11:0 1 1024M 0 rom

Does this help identify which partition can be safely deleted?

Is there a way to un-mount the "root" partition without having the system running?

I'm using GParted 0.25.0 GNOME Partition Editor. Is this the wrong software?

Are you using the Live CD or the installed Gparted in Ubuntu?

Did you run the command from within Ubuntu?

If so, sda7 is your "root" partition.
If not, please run it from Ubuntu, so we know which partition Ubuntu is using as your "root" partition.

Yes, as said in posts from other members, you would need to use a "live" CD/DVD/USB.

I'm using the installed Gparted in Ubuntu. Can anyone tell me how to obtain, create and use the Live CD in the Ubuntu Application? I'm afraid I'm a complete Newbie :-(

https://gparted.org/download.php

(Under "GParted Live CD/USB/HD/PXE Bootable Image")

https://gparted.org/livecd.php - HowTo on installing it to a USB, etc.

If you've still got the Ubuntu installation media, either DVD or USB, that's got gparted on it. So if you boot to that you'll be able to deal with your partitions.

Edit: Those 3 linux partitions could easily be your root, home, and swap partitions. If that's true then there's nothing wrong with your setup.

I didnt realise I had to use ISO Image Software to create the boot CD, so wasted a couple of hours there, but now I have it, 'Furious ISO Mount Tool 0,11,3,1', I've created the CD and it loads up on boot.

My problem now is once I boot from the CD, the first screen appears as it should and I select: DParted Live (Default Settings) by pressing enter. It say Automatic boot in 30 seconds. It repeats this sequence every time I press enter, but reloads the original first screen again and again, even when I press esc.

Had enough for today but going to download the ISO file again tomorrow, make a new CD and try it again.

Check your ISO with the MD5 or SHA256 or whatever number. And most CD/DVD burning programs have the ability to burn ISOs correctly. In this circumstance I would definitely try a different one.

If you used a DVD/flash drive to install Ubuntu and you still have it/them, you have GParted as pointed out above. Just boot the DVD/flash drive and open a terminal and type: sudo gparted This will open the partition manager.

From the info you posted it appears sda7 is your root filesystem partition and it is only 7.5GB. I'm surprised you were able to install on that small a partition and you will have constant problems with a partition that small if you install any new software or save data to it. Probably better off to start over and create a larger partition or use sda5 which is 27GB.

I would just start over with a custom partitioning set up.