Reload this Page hda's and Ubuntu partitioning

[saikee]

This thread was posted by jl_harry12 in the wrong section and has been transferred to here-----------------------saikee


Hi Saikee and others...
..this is a continuation from several posts on the other thread...last numbers of interest were: - h=57, s=66
I've called it hda's and Ubuntu partitioning, although the Moderator may care to find a better thread-name...

My reply:-
Hi Saikee
Have looked on my Ubuntu PC and today synaptic-loaded Gparted, which I'm looking at right now.!
I get the same dev/hda's.... (as Msg 57, but without the start/end addresses). Plus some graphical boxes above. Two large boxes and one, on the right, is rust-red, very small, so I'm guessing this is the “swap” file: dev/hda6 ...esp. as the colours match. +Moving the u/d arrow keys, puts a white line round the box that corresponds with the dev/hda colour-code. Goody, this looks sense.
There are four hda's...Starting top:-
#1=dev/hda1.....(closed padlock)....slate-blue box .....filesystem = ext3 . ......Size=56.89G .....used =3.31G ,... unused=53.57G ...flag=boot
the graphic shows the used part as a small proportion of this box
moving to dev/hda2 ((which alone, curiously has a hollow, down-point triangle which I can rotate to right-point with a hollow centre, when I select this triangle, it turns black! – ))

#2=dev/hda2 ..... (closed padlock,).....cyan box ...filesystem=extended. . . .Size=57.61G . . . . . . used - , ...unused - ... no flag
when dev/hda2 is selected, no box appears to be selected .
#3=dev/hda5 .. .. no padlock! .....slate-blue box .....filesyste, = ext3 . . .....Size=56.89G . . . . . .34.63 =used, . . . 22.27=unused . . . . . no flag
when dev/hda5 is selected the RH box is selected and it shows about half is “used” by a pale yellow tint.
#4=dev/hda6 .....(closed padlock) . . . rust-red box ......fs= Linuxswap . . . Size 729MB . . . . used, . . . unused . . . . . . . no flag
when dev/hda6 is selected the tiny box on the right is selected

I don't know, but it still looks like the 57.61 is not exactly "doing much" and I think this is the partition that I want to convert to FAT32 so it can be read by both Ubuntu and Windows. er, if it can be done "now" the drive is working OK with Ubuntu. Of course I could use the 57G for another purpose, such as a dual-boot , since I can store pictures on a portable HDD with USB interface. Since Ubuntu handles USB this shouldn't be difficult.
+ I suppose the issue is that I don't like to have 57G lying about not used, when I don't understand what I did/didn't do.

The partitioning software at the start was not, IMHO, the model of clarity considering Ubuntu is aimed at all-comers....indeed even after several Revisions there is nothing to tell me what to do ( Hint), the purpose of the Padlock is a mystery and the triangle, pretty though it is! I found a curios panel that grid-lists many HDD-forms of formatting against hda.....some are ticked and others have an angry circular arrow...grief it can only get better!

.........................

Can anyone explain these effects?
Preferable with a suggestion as to the best route.
I hasten to add that everything that did work, still does. It's a stable system on a rather poor-spec PC.

.........................

[[.and I've also added inkscape =drawing/drafting) and bb3 a burning package. AND gparted. Oddly PartedMagic,LiveCD wasn't on Synaptic-list, but I now have it on a CD (which proudly, I burnt from an iso file = my first!)....
...and I managed another iso today for Slax and whilst it works, allowing me to check my memory with patterns the rest of it appears to be Merlin-Magic ...ie very dark and best not be involved. More owls, please. This Slax runs as a LiveCD in the same way Parted Magic does.]]
The above results are from "within" Ubuntu, using the now-installed GParted. Golly, I hope it's clearer to you, since I'm not clear enough for me!
Thank you for yr patience. H.

[saikee]

jl_harry12,

If you put this thread in the "How I did it" area that means you have something to show to others how it works, not how it doesn't work!

I have to moved it here. (using the new power granted by the Admin! sorry I have to do it otherwise the Admin may think I am just wasting the space here.)

-----------------------------------------------------------

If you don't mind I would like to say

Hard disk space doesn't grow on trees!

My intention is to get you understand what an extended partition is all about. If you count the hard disk space of hda1 to hda6 you have 56.89+57.61+56.89+0.729 = 172.119Gb.

Your hard disk size reported in post #65 in this thread was 122.9Gb.

Thus you are getting a bigger hard disk than you have bought!

This is the wrong way to read a disk because hda2 is an extended partition. It is just a border to define the beginning of the 1st logical partition (7427 cylinder) and the end boundary of the last logical partition (14976 cylinder, see Post #65 above link).

In PC standard there are 4 primaries. If a user wants more partitions he must give up one primary to convert it into an extended partition. Hence an extended partition has the same layout as an extended partition showing the partition boundary at the two extreme ends. Inside the extended partition it has the starting address of the next logical partition. One logical partition also carries the address of the next logical partition down the line and the one that doesn't is the last one automatically.

Your problem, if there is one at all, is that you have mistakenly believing you can store data into the extended partition.

I am sorry to be the one to tell you that simply not possible.

I am not an expert in hard disk but a lot of my knowledge was gained by using terminal partitioning tools in general and cfdisk in particular. I would recommend you to use cfdisk or even fdisk and leave Gparted for doing resizing work. cfdisk is good because if you do something illegal it will tell you. For a start it does not display an extended partition or let to to create one. If you create the first logical partition it will automatically be hda5 and hda1 will be used up as the extended partition without you knowing it. You will do well with hard disk partitioning with it. I never use anything else myself.

If you can appreciate why an extended partition cannot be used to hold data you are probably half way to know how partitioning works in a hard disk.

[jl_harry12]

Hi,
Thanks for moving the thread.
(I tried a post earlier but somehow it wouldn't go through...)
Free Storage - that would be nice...I hadn't noticed!

I'm at another m/c today so may have to wait until the weekend - I'll try your earlier suggestion, as well.

Perhaps it is the case that there is nothing missing, but leaving the swap-file aside, I expected to see two partitions about 56G each, (although I read somewhere it's a good idea to make their sizes different so they are easier to track).
The idea was to have a spare partition reserved for my files, accessible by FAT32 -(although I didn't know this format was needed at the time)....but it seems Ubuntu has installed the OS and other programs and then taken-over the other partition......?

Very confusing, but it's looking better than it did.

+Many thanks for yr enduring patience.

[saikee]

If you want to see how your partitions are being used for post the /etc/fstab here.

My guess is your sda1 stores Ubuntu system. The 3.31 Gb is about right for its footprint.

34.63 out 58.69Gb of sda5 has been used up and that can only be your personal data. This would be consistent with sda5 being the /home setup as a separate partition in Ubuntu.

You could rearrange the hard disk usage using Gparted or Parted Magic Live CD, as Ubuntu on its own would be quite contented in a 10Gb partition. Thus potentially you can squeeze 46Gb hard disk space out.

Either the above Live CD can set the boundary of sda1 back to 10Gb and you can then utilize the empty space to make a primary partition sda3 without upsetting any of the existing partitions.

Gparted probably already inside Ubuntu but it is better to use the latest from their site in the form of a Live CD. That way it does not need Ubuntu loaded and is better if you want to resize its boundary.

[jl_harry12]

Hi Saikee,
-Been a bit busier than expected; so no opportunity to follow-up, sorry.
Today, I happened upon yr explanation of partitions...since I lost the whereabouts of this thread. . . . how do folk keep track of the threads they've joined-in?
-Is there a "FAT" for each poster (ie TAT)?
Maybe, I'll have to revert to pencil+paper....in a day or two.
Incidently, for Ubuntu6.06 I have had to load gparted; it wasn't there. They provide "Disc Manager" which is where the original "problem" started ((mostly in my mind I could agree, now)).

It would be nice if these utility programs provided an explanation as to their findings, etc.

Thanks.

[jl_harry12]

Hi Saikee,
.......Hope this is now the right thread....
Had a chance to read yr helpful Posts again(Thanks); although I think the real issues are -
1). I understand yr kind words...Ubuntu 120G, HDD....I'm not missing any potential capacity.
2).Thanks, I could move the Partition, but do not feel confident enough.....whilst it works I can use the excessive space to hold other programs
3). I'm still unable to determine where the Linux Program files are, or the Data-files. However, I'm less concerned now I know there is no space "missing"- - I suspect the disk is partitioned correctly, albeit with partitions I set in an arbitary fashion....through ignorance.
4) I have got used to storing photos on external HDD's - and believe this is "probably" safer, than risking any partition changes on my Ubuntu-dedicated HDD.
However, this leads to a further question - on partitioning - - -
a) I have bought a Maxtor 250G/8M(buffer) HDD.
b) also, I have an IDE/USB adaptor with driver and this works fine under Win98SE and Ubuntu hardly notices.....(checked with old HDD and USB-adaptor - yes test-pics are there, OK)
c) if I Format it under Win98SE, it will be FAT32 and therefore will be recognised by Win98SE and Ubuntu. ((I know that connecting a HDD via USB is not ideal, as there are speed/buffer issues which would be reduced by connecting internally to IDE cable, but I've formatted a small disc this way, so I know the adaptor does Format. I might use the IDE cable connection as it's a big disc.
d) I'm aware of FAT32 limitations, esp. regarding max partition-size and also there could be "Mbd limits" - - - as well as Win98SE limits (137G)- Previously, there was a single 120G set up for Win98SE and this worked OK for some months, than it lost it! - It would not Boot, but "my pictures" were OK and so it is now a back-up disk (2-years on ) for CD's with .Jpg images. My Ubuntu (ie this one right now) is also of 120G - so I guess the Mbd is not concerned.
However going to 250G is a new issue and therefore I plan to partition it.
It will be used as back-up for CD/DVD's..... so if a CD fails I have a "master copy" of the picture-files (etc)...and if/when this HDD fails, I should have all the picture-files on CD/DVD to put on a new drive (probably SATA). I doubt I shall have any OS on it.
e) I have GParted under Ubuntu (ie on this set-up) - fetched from their repository, as it does not come standard.
f) I have Parted-Magic as a LiveCD - I presume all the necessary Linux files are on the Live CD so the unformatted 250G would be the only HDD present on the internal=IDE-cable, this would avoid any risk of wiping the wrong disc.

Any hints/suggestions....?

[saikee]

You can do most thing in Linux now.

To check all the partitions and disks you use in Ubuntu terminal command

sudo fdisk -l

To partition the hard disk you use cfdisk in Ubuntu by terminal command

sudo cfdisk /dev/sda

if sda is the disk you need to create partitions. You need to reboot every time if you alter a fat partition.

To format a partition, say sda2, in fat32 in Ubuntu Linux you type at the terminal

mkdosfs -F32 /dev/sda2

After a partition say sda2 has been formatted you need to mount it in order to use it with command

sudo mkdir /mnt/sda2
sudo mount /dev/sda2 /mnt/sda2