Gparted version 0.2.5 partition manager Mini Howto for linux. (I am using ubuntu 7.04 and kde 3.5.6)               Back to Main Page          

This i a very short version, and if you want to know more, go to the Internet etc.                                    

This howto is without any guarantee, and you may use it on your own responsibility only.

There may be errors, but I do not want to use too much time to  write this howto.

My idea is to make documentation, so you can at the least start using the system.

I (66 years old) have abstracted what I find most important, from lots and lots of documentation.

To check specific words you may use: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page  (search).

It's easiest to print this howto out, to use it, by your side !


Index of Page

To partition a harddisk means

always do it in the following order: 1, 2, 3, 5
 
each linux distribution one partition

My distributions

don't despair

To use gparted:

gparted main window

delete partition

create a new partition

size of the new partition

operations pending

the gparted dialogue

auto mount an external harddisk

select which harddisk you might want to edit

When finished

create a reboot

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Gparted is a graphic partition manager, and I find it very easy to use - download it from below link (newest version):

Click here to download iso image of gparted - and then burn it to cd - it is a live cd (see my "Download_iso howto").

To partition a harddisk (also an external harddisk) means to split it up in smaller parts (called partitions).

At the same time the partitions must be formatted, to make them usable for data.

When you partition a harddisk always do it in the following order (or you may later get problems):

Partition 1, primary, hda1, (fat32 or ext3 or swap format)
Partition 2, primary, hda2, (fat32 or ext3 or swap format)
Partition 3, primary, hda3, (fat32 or ext3 or swap format)
Partition 4, extended, hda4 (Placeholder for logical partitions)
Partition 5, logical, hda5, (ext3 or swap format)
Partition 6, logical, hda6, (ext3 or swap format)
Partition 7, logical, hda7, (ext3 or swap format)
................................................................
................................................................              
Partition 15, logical, hda15, (ext3 or swap format)

There are other formats, and there may be even more logical partitions.

I find it best, each linux distribution on one single partition (+ one swap partition).

Gparted can make, delete or resize partitions, and format partitions (or reformat).

My distributions (debian, ubuntu and suse) have been between aprox. 4 - 17 GB size each, and then I have an external harddisk of 300 GB,

for my backup and other data (by the way I have 2 external harddisks, so I can have double backup of important data).

Don't despair: If you have a harddisk of e.g. 80 gb, you can do with partitioning like this:

hda1, primary partition 1, fat32 format, windows,  20 Gb                                                                Back to Index of Page

hda2, primary partition 2, ext3 format, ubuntu linux, 55 Gb

hda3, primary partition 3, swap partition, 4 Gb

To use gparted:

Start your computer (pc)
After small beep, press the "pause" button

Open the cd slot, and insert the gparted live cd - close - enter

At boot prompt "boot:" press enter (and lots of figures scroll along)

At  window dialog with first line saying something like: "Skip extra boot options etc" - press enter

Next dialog "Select your language" use up/down arrows to select e.g. "US English" - enter

Next dialog "Select your keymap" use up/down arrows (if you have a danish keyboard select "qwerty/dk-latin1.map" - enter

Next dialog "Select screen depth" just press enter, and accept suggested value (e.g. "24")

Next dialog "Select resolution" just press enter, and accept suggested values (e.g. "1024x768")

If you are unsure in linux, it's normally best to accept default values

Now the gparted main window opens up (it's from my harddisk, just as an example), and /dev/hda6 is selected with a left mouse click:



First we will delete this partition, so we right click on the blue line and select "Delete" (see below):            Back to Index of Page



Then we click on "Delete":



You can see, that /dev/hda6 is deleted, but the delete operation is not yet applied (see lower left corner "1 operation pending".

We will then create a new partition of 2 Gb, so we right click on the "unallocated" line (means that 5.40 gb is free - see above):
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Then we click on "New", and a new dialog shows up:
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Here we have selected the size of the new partition på 2 gb (2000 MiB) - can be done either with the 2 small up/down arrows or written

in the text bar or the light blue square above can be dragged with the mouse cursor (left mouse button).

You will also notice, that a logical partition and an ext3 filesystem (format) is selected - also that there is 3.53 Gb Free Space  (see above),

so now just click "Add":



You can see that the new partition only is 1.95 GiB, and only 3.45 GiB is unallocated, because the system uses up a little bit.

There are 2 operations pending, so we will have to click the "Apply" button (see above):                        Back to Index of Page



There is 3.45 GiB unallocated (free) space (see above).

I shall now explain, what is shown on the gparted dialogue  (above):

/dev/hda1 is fat32 filesystem, partition size 15,62 GiB of which 7,81 is used (primary partition - windows)

/dev/hda2 is ext3 filesystem, partition size 20,51 GiB, of which 16,35 GiB is used (primary partition - debian sarge), mounted on /media/hda2

/dev/hda3 is swap filesystem, partition size 3,91 GiB

/dev/hda4 is extended filesystem (placeholder for logical partitions), size 44,46 GiB                                        Back to Index of Page

/dev/hda5 is ext3 filesystem, partition size 39,06 GiB, of which 6,42 GiB is used (logical partition - ubuntu), mountpoint is "/"

/dev/hda6 is ext3 filesystem, partition size 1,95 GiB, of which 66,48 MiB is used by system (logical partition)

Everything is on the primary harddisk (/dev/hda), see upper right corner.

We will now auto mount an external harddisk, plug it into a usb port and switch it on, and then we will "Refresh devices"  to make the

external harddisk detected by gparted "GParted - Refresh devices" (see below):



You can now see in the top right corner (image below), when you click on the "Devices button"

that the external harddisk is mounted on /dev/sda :                                                                                            Back to Index of Page



The internal primary harddisk, which we have just changed is /dev/hda size 76,69 GiB, and the external harddisk size 279,46 GiB.

You can select which harddisk you might want to edit, by clicking on it  (upper right button), and the working principle is the same for both.

Please note, that the system automatic creates the names (hda, hda1, sda etc).

When finished click in lower right corner on red button - "Reject and reboot" - "OK" - remove cd - close cd device - enter,

and when the reboot beep is heard, press "Pause" button and then switch off the computer.

Above is hopefully correct, as some of it is made from my memory only.

You can always create a reboot by simultaneously pressing the "Ctrl+Alt+Del" buttons.
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8/2007