parted

Understanding parted’s Interactive Mode

parted operates primarily in an interactive mode. You start by specifying the disk you want to work with, and then you execute commands within that context. The interactive mode provides feedback after each command, allowing you to monitor the process carefully.

To start parted, use the following command, replacing /dev/sda with the actual device path of your disk (be extremely cautious when using parted; incorrect usage can lead to data loss. Always double-check your commands before execution):

sudo parted /dev/sda

You’ll be presented with a (parted) prompt.

Essential parted Commands

Let’s look at some core commands with illustrative examples.

1. Listing Partitions:

The print command displays the current partition table of the selected disk.

(parted) print

This will show information such as partition numbers, start and end sectors, size, type (e.g., primary, logical), file system type, and flags.

2. Creating a New Partition:

To create a new partition, use the mklabel command to set the partition table type (e.g., gpt for GUID Partition Table, msdos for Master Boot Record) and then the mkpart command to define the partition. Here’s how to create a new ext4 partition starting at 1GB and extending to 10GB:

(parted) mklabel gpt  # Set the partition table type to GPT
(parted) mkpart primary ext4 1GB 10GB  # Create a primary ext4 partition
(parted) print          # Verify the new partition

3. Resizing a Partition:

Resizing partitions requires careful planning. Use the resizepart command, specifying the partition number and the new end sector or size. Let’s resize the partition created above to 15GB:

(parted) resizepart 1 15GB  # Resize partition 1 to 15GB
(parted) print          # Verify the resize

Important Note: Shrinking a partition containing filesystems might require further steps like filesystem resizing using tools like resize2fs before and after the parted operation.

4. Deleting a Partition:

To delete a partition, use the rm command followed by the partition number:

(parted) rm 1     # Delete partition 1
(parted) print    # Verify the deletion

5. Setting Partition Flags:

Partitions can have various flags that control their behavior (e.g., boot, esp). Use the set command to add or remove flags. For example, to set the boot flag on partition 1:

(parted) set 1 boot on # Set the boot flag on
(parted) print       # Verify the flag is set

6. Quitting parted:

To exit parted interactive mode, use the quit command:

(parted) quit

Remember to always back up your data before making any partition changes. Incorrect use of parted can lead to data loss. Proceed with caution and double-check your commands. This guide provides a foundation; exploring the parted manual page (man parted) will reveal its full potential and more advanced options.