partitions and fdisk

[Peter T. Breuer]

Alex Kendrick <alex_6136@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

> I'm trying to create a new partition on my (one) hard disk. At the moment
> there are 3, boot, swap, and linux and all my data itself. My partition
> program is fdisk but I can't get it to create a new partition. To anyone
> familiar with the program, when i use the 'n' command it just replies that
> there are no spare sectors avaliable. Which is right, they are all used up.
> I can't find the command on fdisk to free up some sectors and then use these
> as my new partition, even when in exit mode.

There isn't one. fdisk is a partition table editor, not a partition
resizer.

Use a partition resizer first, or whatever. Backup software. Something.
Anything.

Peter

[Alex Kendrick]

"Peter T. Breuer" <ptb@oboe.it.uc3m.es> wrote in message
news:fk3rib.79s.ln@news.it.uc3m.es...

> Alex Kendrick <alex_6136@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

> > I'm trying to create a new partition on my (one) hard disk. At the

moment

> > there are 3, boot, swap, and linux and all my data itself. My partition
> > program is fdisk but I can't get it to create a new partition. To anyone
> > familiar with the program, when i use the 'n' command it just replies

that

> > there are no spare sectors avaliable. Which is right, they are all used

up.

> > I can't find the command on fdisk to free up some sectors and then use

these

> > as my new partition, even when in exit mode.

>
> There isn't one. fdisk is a partition table editor, not a partition
> resizer.
>
> Use a partition resizer first, or whatever. Backup software. Something.
> Anything.
>
> Peter

so much for fdisk, by the way, i meant to say 'even when in expert mode' not
'exit mode' if that was causing any confusion

[Andreas Janssen]

Hello

Alex Kendrick (<alex_6136@yahoo.co.uk>) wrote:

> I'm trying to create a new partition on my (one) hard disk. At the
> moment there are 3, boot, swap, and linux and all my data itself. My
> partition program is fdisk but I can't get it to create a new
> partition. To anyone familiar with the program, when i use the 'n'
> command it just replies that there are no spare sectors avaliable.
> Which is right, they are all used up. I can't find the command on
> fdisk to free up some sectors and then use these as my new partition,
> even when in exit mode.
>
> I could only create a new partition in my original linux partition, i
> mean a partition within a partition. I don't even know if this counts
> as a feasable solution. The new partition i made dosent appear in the
> /dev directory. And when I try to mount it, bash tells me this device
> does not exist. In frustration I've deleted this old partition.
>
> If heard of a program called cfdisk but I don't have it. Thanks in
> advance for your replies. P.S any info on hard drive geometry (sectors
> cylinders etc would be usefull, as well as the precise definition of
> megabyte, kilobyte etc, (every school kid knows this but i've
> forgotten!))

cfdisk, like fdisk, cannot resize partitions.

You may want to try parted to resize your partitions. And as Peter said,
make a backup.

bets regards
Andreas Janssen

--
Andreas Janssen
[email]andreas.janssen@bigfoot.com[/email]
PGP-Key-ID: 0xDC801674
Registered Linux User #267976

[Stefan Patric]

Alex Kendrick on Saturday 30 August 2003 13:53 wrote:

> I'm trying to create a new partition on my (one) hard disk. At the
> moment there are 3, boot, swap, and linux and all my data itself. My
> partition program is fdisk but I can't get it to create a new
> partition. To anyone familiar with the program, when i use the 'n'
> command it just replies that there are no spare sectors avaliable.
> Which is right, they are all used up. I can't find the command on
> fdisk to free up some sectors and then use these as my new
> partition, even when in exit mode.

fdisk told you why you can't create another new partition: "no spare
sectors available"; that is, there is no unpartitioned space
available, the disk is fully partitioned, etc.

fdisk can only "free up" sectors by deleting existing partitions,
which I don't think you want to do. What you need is a utility to
"shrink" an existing partition without destroying its contents to
provide space for more partitions. Parted, partition editor, will do
that, among other things. Some distros include it. For the others,
you'll have to download it. (Sorry, I can't post a link to where you
can download it. Start with a Yahoo search.)

In addition, you'll have to consider the type of partitions that you
now have. If they are all Primary types, you can only make ONE more
Primary partition, the maximum permitted -- 4 Primary partitions. Or
you can make an Extended partition of that last available Primary,
and then put as many Logical partitions on it that you like.

--
Stefan Patric
[email]tootek2@yahoo.com[/email]