Is there a way that I can run QTParted from the terminal, or use it with root permission without logging in as root? I want to resize my partitions, and they're locked in Partition Editor. What would be the sudo run for it? (Forgive me for such a novice question. I've been reading about sudo and root and terminal use for hours........)

Further- can I use Partition Editor to unlock the partitions so that I can adjust the Windows main? Should I do this from inside Windows? (I have a sneaking suspicion.) But if I do it from inside Windows, how then can I run from Linux to absorb the opened space?

I have an 80GB hard drive, and Windows has about 55% of that. I want to shrink it to about 35% because since I've installed Ubuntu, the only use I have for Windows now is a printer. I have a Lexmark x5470 that apparently is not well-liked by Linux of any kind... Any help at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I don't know what you mean by "locked" partitions. Running as root, I think any partition manager will do all legal operations. One of the main considerations is that you should not attempt to change any partitions that are mounted and in use.

GParted does a good job of dealing with NTFS partitions--before resizing, the folklore is that you should defrag first.

I do not like the Ubuntu "no-root-user" scheme. On any *buntu system, I enable root with "sudo passwd root". To run a particular app as root, i think you can do "sudo appname". (I have no first-hand experience with this.)

A question of personal taste..I find it all right, especially because many are used to working as the top administrator on their own pc (thanks to Windows). I hardly find any reason to login as root, if sudo is configured. Anyway, that aside - on Ubuntu root account can be enabled like previously mentioned (simplest is to run sudo passwd root and set a proper password), but if it's necessary to run programs with root privileges, especially graphical ones, when logged in as a normal user, the way to go is to use (gk)sudo:

1) open a terminal, run the program with sudo
2) the same thing, but use a graphical password-asking box:
3) the very same thing, but don't open a terminal for that -- use Run Command:
press ATL+F2, then type into the box:
press ENTER and you're prompted for password (if needed), and the app should run as root.

On Kubuntu gksudo is not used, KDE has it's own thing; can't remember it's name. But it works just the same way: a graphical prompt for sudo password.

Then there is of course a way to set the user-id of the program..but that's a whole other story, and since sudo works, there should not be a reason to use that in the usual daily tasks - especially for newcomers or folks that don't care to read the whole story (security side).

under kde the command is kdesudo or kdesu.


--Nate

Ok, I keep getting this in the terminal:

tobydeemer@tobydeemer-laptop:~$ sudo GParted
sudo: GParted: command not found
tobydeemer@tobydeemer-laptop:~$

What am I doing wrong?

you need to install gparted. Assuming you have an internet connection, in a terminal (which,in ubuntu, you can get under Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal) type You may have to hit yes for verification. Then you will be able to run Gparted.

Toby Deemer, you're obviously new to LQ so here's something for you to learn and remember.

Next time please do not tack your own questions onto an existing thread because this is inconvenient for the OP (original poster) since it distracts from his/her questions. It would be appreciated if you apologise to the OP for hijacking a thread. It can also cause your questions to be neglected since making a new thread with no replies draws attention to your questions more easily. Since we're a helpful bunch I've split off your questions and replies to a new thread.

I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to hijack.



But on a side note, I did post another question regarding streaming media playback, an issue that I've researched and tried for many hours to correct to no avail, and no one's responded, even to point me to another thread with an answer.

I'm not intending to hijack or to be confrontational toward anyone, I'm just trying to get past a couple of hiccups. And I am new to the Linux game admittedly.


On a not-so-side note, I figured out what I was doing wrong. I typed into the terminal "sudo GParted" and got a kick back. I should have typed "sudo gparted". That worked like gang busters. Same for QTParted. But neither of them would let me resize the existing Windows partitions. So I sort of ghetto'd my way into it by using the Ubuntu install disc and shrinking some stuff, and then growing the Linux parts and moving the data. So... here we are.

Thanks all for the input.

TO change the size of windows partitions (NTFS anyway) you want to use ntfsresize. All of the other tools that resize ntfs partitions do it by invoking ntfsresize.

Awesome. Thanks again to all for the feedback.