Hard Drive Partition Help needed...

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kgregc

Member
I'm a new Ubuntu user, running it on a Core 2 Duo Intel powered iMac with a 160Gb HD. I am using Parallels 1892.6, and have a VM to install Ubuntu.

I started with a 20Gb HD partition, and somehow got the partitions set as shown. (only the Partition 1 and the Swap Partition initially). Partition 1 is 18.81Gb and the Swap partition is only 729Mb... Partition 1 is also of the FileSystem "Extended 3 (ext3). I'm not sure how this FileSystem, or the small size of the Swap Partition happened...maybe just new and hit the wrong keys...

Ubuntu loaded fine, and works well. I have Internet, mail and other programs work. My problem is the size/structure of the partitions.





I wanted to enlarge the Ubuntu partition, so using Parallels Tools, I enlarged the .hdd to 40Gb...but it seems to have just created a new partition of 20Gb, "unpartitioned" Free Space!!! :confused:



So here is what I think I need to do. Somehow, get the 20Gb free space created with Tools, to be part of Partition 1. Confirm if Extended 3 is correct File System, and if not change it. Expand the Swap Partition to at lease 2Gb, taking away some of Partition in necessary. (I thought I read that was what it should be...#-o )

Any help in correcting my mistakes, and hopefully without having to start all over from scratch, would be very much appreciated. Please just remember, I am a reeeaaal newbie at Linux.

Thanks,

Greg
 
Ok, here's where I'm at now.



How do I merge the hda1 and the hda3 together?
How do I expand the swap file...and what is the difference/why are there 2 partitions: hda2 & hda5?

Thanks,

Greg
 
I checked the version of Gparted, and there is a later one. I downloaded it to the desktop, but when I tried to open the Gparted Icon, it said I couldn't because it could only be open with "root" permission... I am installing on my own machine, and am the "admin", if you will. How do it get it opened.

Tnx,
 
.
user@host>su - <press enter>

Enter your root password.

user@host#gparted <press enter>

And it should go. As long as it works the same in OSX as it does in Linux. I would be interested to know that part.
.
 
constant said:
.
user@host>su - <press enter>

Enter your root password.

user@host#gparted <press enter>

And it should go. As long as it works the same in OSX as it does in Linux. I would be interested to know that part.
.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I have no idea what you are talking about... what am I supposed to do?

"Any help in correcting my mistakes, and hopefully without having to start all over from scratch, would be very much appreciated. Please just remember, I am a reeeaaal newbie at Linux."

Thanks

Edit: OK, I found the "Terminal" inside Ubuntu, but when I type the code; "user@host>su - " and hit enter, I get the error message: "command not found".... Am I doing it right?

Tnx.
 
Last edited:
Download the GParted CD from the link I gave you. That version will allow you to move partitions. It's a live cd so you can just mount the image and boot from it.
 
David,

I downloaded the package from he site you posted. I extracted it and then clicked on the Icon, and this is what I got...




What should I do next?

Tnx
 
You should download the latest .iso file. A direct link is http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/gparted/gparted-livecd-0.3.1-1.iso?download
If you already did, then just go to the next step :)

Once you have it, go to parallels and go into the Ubuntu virtual machine properties. Change the cd-rom to use the .iso file you downloaded as it's image. Also, change the Boot Sequence to Cd-ROM, Hard Disk, Floppy.

The next time you boot your virtual machine, the GParted live cd should boot up and you'll end up with the newest GParted software ready to resize your drive :)
 
David,

Worked...but I would like to save it to Ubuntu... Right now, when I change the CD/ to "default" and bring up Ubuntu, and then Gparted, I get the old version. How would I go about upgrading the old version with the new permanently?

Tnx.
 
You'd probably have to compile it from source and create a deb package. Why not just use the livecd from GParted? It gets upgraded very often too.
 
Thanks, David. I think that's what I'll do, for the updates and the fact that.........I have no idea what a "deb package" is :eek: ....or how to create one!!! LOLOL
 
Haha np :D .deb files are the packages for Debian based systems. I prefer to use the latest GParted LiveCD when I need to partition a hard drive since it's geared espefically for that and has the most up to date version :)
 
kgregc said:
I'm a new Ubuntu user, running it on a Core 2 Duo Intel powered iMac with a 160Gb HD. I am using Parallels 1892.6, and have a VM to install Ubuntu.
Click to expand...

You should be posting in the mac forum. This one is for Windoze/Linux hosts.

kgregc said:
I started with a 20Gb HD partition, and somehow got the partitions set as shown. (only the Partition 1 and the Swap Partition initially). Partition 1 is 18.81Gb and the Swap partition is only 729Mb... Partition 1 is also of the FileSystem "Extended 3 (ext3). I'm not sure how this FileSystem, or the small size of the Swap Partition happened...maybe just new and hit the wrong keys...
Click to expand...

Ubuntu is quite novice friendly and usually installs in a useable configuration. There is hardly no way for you to need more than a ~20gb partition, and swap size is not critical unless you know why you need more. Trust and continue on learning Linux.

kgregc said:
Ubuntu loaded fine, and works well. I have Internet, mail and other programs work. My problem is the size/structure of the partitions.
Click to expand...

What is the problem that you are trying to solve?

kgregc said:
I wanted to enlarge the Ubuntu partition, so using Parallels Tools, I enlarged the .hdd to 40Gb...but it seems to have just created a new partition of 20Gb, "unpartitioned" Free Space!!! :confused:
Click to expand...

Just create a new partition (or 2 or 3 more) and mount them as some of the Linux directories. This probably means nothing to you right now since you don't know Linux - so forget about it and move on in your learning exercise. This is not a Parallels issue, but a Linux issue.

kgregc said:
Any help in correcting my mistakes, and hopefully without having to start all over from scratch, would be very much appreciated. Please just remember, I am a reeeaaal newbie at Linux.
Click to expand...

I once was too. The first time, I probably installed Linux 20 times before I got what I understood was right for me. This was back when CDs were 2x and 64mb was a lot of ram - we're talking many hours each. That's the great thing about using Parallels. If the installation you've got isn't what you like, just do it again until you get it right, and/or learn what right is. If you put the ISOs on your hard drive the installs will take less than 1/2 hour. Maybe you can go back to a previous installation and try it again from where you left off. You shouldn't be using a virtual disk much bigger than 4gb for most any newbie Linux installation anyway. If you get one you like, you can enlarge the virtual disk and delete the others.
 
hello. can anyone explain me how to use Gparted??? I have free space but I don't know how to merge it in the principal hd...
 
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