Comprehensive Guide to Disk Partitioning with Parted

Table of Contents

Introduction to Parted

Parted (GNU Parted) is a powerful command-line disk partitioning utility for Linux and Unix-like systems. It provides comprehensive functionality for creating, resizing, moving, and managing disk partitions on various storage devices. Unlike traditional partitioning tools like fdisk, parted supports both MBR (Master Boot Record) and GPT (GUID Partition Table) partition schemes, making it suitable for modern systems with large drives.

Key Features of Parted

| Feature | Description | |---------|-------------| | Multi-format Support | Works with MBR, GPT, and other partition table formats | | Large Disk Support | Handles disks larger than 2TB efficiently | | Resize Capabilities | Can resize partitions without data loss (with limitations) | | Scriptable | Supports both interactive and batch modes | | Cross-platform | Available on multiple Unix-like operating systems | | Real-time Operations | Changes are applied immediately to the disk |

When to Use Parted

Parted is ideal for: - Setting up new storage devices - Modifying existing partition layouts - Converting between partition table types - Automating partition management in scripts - Working with large disks (>2TB) - Managing complex partition schemes

Installation and Prerequisites

Installing Parted

Parted comes pre-installed on most Linux distributions. If not available, install it using your distribution's package manager:

#### Ubuntu/Debian `bash sudo apt update sudo apt install parted `

#### Red Hat/CentOS/Fedora `bash

For RHEL/CentOS

For Fedora

#### Arch Linux `bash sudo pacman -S parted `

Prerequisites and Requirements

Before using parted, ensure you have:

| Requirement | Description | |-------------|-------------| | Root Privileges | Most partitioning operations require superuser access | | Backup Strategy | Always backup important data before partitioning | | Unmounted Partitions | Target partitions should be unmounted before modification | | System Knowledge | Understanding of partition types and file systems | | Recovery Plan | Know how to recover from potential mistakes |

Verifying Installation

Check if parted is installed and view version information:

`bash parted --version `

Expected output: ` parted (GNU parted) 3.4 Copyright (C) 2019 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later . This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. `

Understanding Disk Partitioning Concepts

Partition Tables

A partition table is a data structure that defines how the disk space is divided into partitions. Different partition table formats have varying capabilities and limitations.

#### MBR (Master Boot Record)

| Characteristic | Details | |----------------|---------| | Maximum Disk Size | 2TB | | Maximum Partitions | 4 primary partitions | | Extended Partitions | Support for logical partitions within extended partition | | Boot Support | Traditional BIOS boot | | Compatibility | Excellent with older systems |

#### GPT (GUID Partition Table)

| Characteristic | Details | |----------------|---------| | Maximum Disk Size | 9.4 ZB (practically unlimited) | | Maximum Partitions | 128 partitions by default | | Redundancy | Backup partition table at end of disk | | Boot Support | UEFI boot support | | Modern Features | Partition names, unique GUIDs |

Partition Types

#### Primary Partitions - Can contain an operating system - Limited to 4 on MBR disks - Can be made bootable

#### Extended Partitions - Container for logical partitions - Only available on MBR - Cannot contain data directly

#### Logical Partitions - Created within extended partitions - Allow more than 4 partitions on MBR - Cannot be used for booting (traditionally)

Parted Command Syntax and Options

Basic Syntax

`bash parted [options] [device [command [parameters]...]] `

Command-Line Options

| Option | Long Form | Description | |--------|-----------|-------------| | -h | --help | Display help information | | -l | --list | List partition layout on all block devices | | -m | --machine | Display machine parseable output | | -s | --script | Never prompt for user intervention | | -v | --version | Display version information | | -a | --align | Set alignment for newly created partitions |

Alignment Options

| Alignment Type | Description | Use Case | |----------------|-------------|----------| | none | No alignment | Legacy systems, maximum space usage | | cylinder | Align to cylinder boundaries | Old hardware compatibility | | minimal | Minimal alignment for performance | General use | | optimal | Optimal alignment for performance | Recommended for SSDs and modern drives |

Interactive vs Non-Interactive Mode

Interactive Mode

Interactive mode provides a command prompt where you can execute multiple commands on a device:

`bash sudo parted /dev/sdb `

This opens the parted prompt: ` GNU Parted 3.4 Using /dev/sdb Welcome to GNU Parted! Type 'help' to view a list of commands. (parted) `

Non-Interactive Mode

Non-interactive mode executes a single command and exits:

`bash sudo parted /dev/sdb print `

Script Mode

Script mode suppresses prompts and is ideal for automation:

`bash sudo parted -s /dev/sdb mklabel gpt sudo parted -s /dev/sdb mkpart primary ext4 1MiB 100% `

Partition Table Types

Creating Partition Tables

#### GPT Partition Table `bash sudo parted /dev/sdb mklabel gpt `

#### MBR Partition Table `bash sudo parted /dev/sdb mklabel msdos `

Supported Partition Table Types

| Type | Description | Common Use | |------|-------------|------------| | gpt | GUID Partition Table | Modern systems, large disks | | msdos | MS-DOS partition table (MBR) | Legacy compatibility | | dvh | SGI disk volume header | SGI systems | | mac | Apple partition map | Mac systems | | pc98 | NEC PC-98 partition table | Japanese PC-98 systems | | sun | Sun disk label | Sun/SPARC systems | | loop | Raw disk access | Special purposes |

Basic Parted Operations

Viewing Disk Information

#### List All Devices `bash sudo parted -l `

#### View Specific Device `bash sudo parted /dev/sdb print `

Sample output: ` Model: ATA SAMSUNG SSD (scsi) Disk /dev/sdb: 500GB Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B Partition Table: gpt Disk Flags:

Number Start End Size File system Name Flags 1 1049kB 538MB 537MB fat32 EFI boot, esp 2 538MB 500GB 500GB ext4 root `

#### Machine-Readable Output `bash sudo parted -m /dev/sdb print `

Output format: ` /dev/sdb:500GB:scsi:512:512:gpt:ATA SAMSUNG SSD:; 1:1049kB:538MB:537MB:fat32:EFI:boot, esp; 2:538MB:500GB:500GB:ext4:root:; `

Creating Partitions

#### Basic Partition Creation `bash sudo parted /dev/sdb mkpart primary ext4 1MiB 10GiB `

#### Named Partition (GPT) `bash sudo parted /dev/sdb mkpart "System Root" ext4 1GiB 50GiB `

#### Partition with Specific File System `bash sudo parted /dev/sdb mkpart logical fat32 50GiB 60GiB `

Partition Creation Parameters

| Parameter | Description | Example | |-----------|-------------|---------| | Partition Type | primary, logical, extended | primary | | File System | File system type | ext4, fat32, ntfs | | Start | Starting position | 1MiB, 100MB, 1GiB | | End | Ending position | 10GiB, 50%, 100% |

Deleting Partitions

`bash sudo parted /dev/sdb rm 2 `

This command removes partition number 2 from the device.

Resizing Partitions

#### Growing a Partition `bash sudo parted /dev/sdb resizepart 2 100% `

#### Shrinking a Partition `bash sudo parted /dev/sdb resizepart 2 50GiB `

Important Note: Parted can resize the partition table entry, but it cannot resize the file system. You must use appropriate file system tools (resize2fs, xfs_growfs, etc.) separately.

Advanced Partitioning Tasks

Setting Partition Flags

#### Boot Flag `bash sudo parted /dev/sdb set 1 boot on `

#### ESP (EFI System Partition) Flag `bash sudo parted /dev/sdb set 1 esp on `

#### LVM Flag `bash sudo parted /dev/sdb set 2 lvm on `

Common Partition Flags

| Flag | Purpose | Typical Use | |------|---------|-------------| | boot | Bootable partition | System boot partition | | esp | EFI System Partition | UEFI boot partition | | lvm | LVM partition | Logical Volume Management | | raid | RAID partition | Software RAID arrays | | swap | Swap partition | Virtual memory | | hidden | Hidden partition | OEM recovery partitions |

Moving Partitions

`bash sudo parted /dev/sdb move 2 10GiB `

Warning: Moving partitions is risky and may result in data loss. Always backup data before attempting to move partitions.

Copying Partitions

#### Within Same Device `bash sudo parted /dev/sdb cp 1 2 `

#### Between Devices `bash sudo parted /dev/sdb cp /dev/sda 1 2 `

Rescue Operations

Attempt to rescue a partition that may have been accidentally deleted:

`bash sudo parted /dev/sdb rescue 10GiB 20GiB `

Practical Examples

Example 1: Setting Up a New Disk for Linux Installation

This example demonstrates setting up a 500GB disk with GPT partition table for a typical Linux installation:

`bash

Step 1: Create GPT partition table

Step 2: Create EFI System Partition (512MB)

Step 3: Create boot partition (1GB)

Step 4: Create root partition (remaining space)

Step 5: Verify the partition layout

Example 2: Converting MBR to GPT

Warning: This operation will destroy all data on the disk. Backup all important data first.

`bash

Step 1: Backup partition information

Step 2: Remove all partitions

Step 3: Create new GPT partition table

Step 4: Recreate partitions as needed

Example 3: Creating Multiple Partitions with Different File Systems

`bash

Create partition table

Create Windows-compatible partition (NTFS)

Create Linux partition (ext4)

Create shared partition (FAT32)

Create swap partition

Use remaining space for data

Example 4: Scripted Partition Setup

Create a script for automated partition setup:

`bash #!/bin/bash

partition_setup.sh

DEVICE="/dev/sdb" SCRIPT_MODE="-s"

echo "Setting up partitions on $DEVICE"

Safety check

Create partition table

Create partitions

Set flags

Display result

echo "Partition setup complete" `

Best Practices and Safety Considerations

Pre-Partitioning Checklist

| Task | Description | Command Example | |------|-------------|-----------------| | Backup Data | Create full backup of important data | rsync -av /source/ /backup/ | | Unmount Partitions | Ensure target partitions are not mounted | sudo umount /dev/sdb1 | | Check Disk Health | Verify disk is healthy before partitioning | sudo smartctl -a /dev/sdb | | Document Current Layout | Save current partition information | sudo parted -l > current_layout.txt | | Prepare Recovery Media | Have bootable recovery media ready | Create live USB/CD |

Safety Guidelines

#### Always Use Script Mode for Automation `bash

Good: Script mode prevents accidental confirmations

Risky: Interactive mode in scripts

#### Verify Device Names `bash

List all devices before operating

Double-check device name

#### Use Appropriate Alignment `bash

For SSDs and modern drives

For maximum compatibility

Common Mistakes to Avoid

| Mistake | Consequence | Prevention | |---------|-------------|------------| | Wrong device selection | Data loss on wrong disk | Always verify device names | | Operating on mounted partitions | File system corruption | Unmount before partitioning | | No backup before changes | Permanent data loss | Always backup critical data | | Ignoring alignment | Poor performance | Use optimal alignment | | Scripting without -s flag | Hanging scripts | Always use script mode |

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Partition Table Errors

#### Error: "Invalid partition table" `bash

Check disk for errors

If corrupted, recreate partition table

#### Error: "Partition outside the disk" This occurs when partition boundaries exceed disk capacity:

`bash

Check actual disk size

Recreate partition with correct size

Device Busy Errors

#### Error: "Partition is being used" `bash

Find processes using the partition

Kill processes if safe to do so

Unmount the partition

Alignment Warnings

#### Warning: "Partition not aligned optimally" `bash

Check current alignment

Recreate with proper alignment

Recovery Scenarios

#### Accidentally Deleted Partition Table `bash

Try to rescue the partition

Use testdisk for advanced recovery

#### Partition Won't Boot After Changes `bash

Reinstall bootloader (for GRUB)

For UEFI systems

Comparison with Other Tools

Parted vs fdisk

| Feature | Parted | fdisk | |---------|--------|-------| | GPT Support | Full support | Limited support | | Real-time Changes | Yes | No (requires write command) | | Scripting | Excellent | Good | | Resize Support | Yes | No | | User Interface | Command-line | Interactive menu | | Learning Curve | Moderate | Easy |

Parted vs gdisk

| Feature | Parted | gdisk | |---------|--------|-------| | GPT Focus | Multi-format | GPT-specific | | MBR Support | Yes | Limited | | Conversion | MBR to GPT | MBR to GPT | | Recovery Features | Basic | Advanced | | Scripting | Better | Limited |

Command Equivalents

#### Creating Partitions

fdisk approach: `bash sudo fdisk /dev/sdb

Interactive commands: n, p, 1, enter, enter, w

parted approach: `bash sudo parted -s /dev/sdb mkpart primary ext4 1MiB 100% `

#### Listing Partitions

fdisk: `bash sudo fdisk -l /dev/sdb `

parted: `bash sudo parted /dev/sdb print `

When to Use Each Tool

#### Use Parted When: - Working with GPT partitions - Need to resize partitions - Automating partition management - Dealing with large disks (>2TB) - Need real-time partition changes

#### Use fdisk When: - Working primarily with MBR - Prefer interactive menu interface - Need maximum compatibility - Working on older systems

#### Use gdisk When: - Exclusively working with GPT - Need advanced GPT features - Recovering corrupted GPT headers - Converting complex MBR layouts

Integration with File System Tools

After creating partitions with parted, you typically need to create file systems:

`bash

Create ext4 file system

Create FAT32 file system

Create NTFS file system

Create XFS file system

Monitoring and Maintenance

#### Regular Health Checks `bash

Check partition alignment

Verify partition table integrity

Check file system health

#### Performance Optimization `bash

Enable TRIM for SSDs (if supported)

Check I/O scheduler

Optimize mount options in /etc/fstab

For SSDs: add noatime,discard options

Parted is a powerful and versatile tool for disk partitioning that provides comprehensive functionality for modern storage management needs. Its support for multiple partition table formats, scripting capabilities, and real-time operation make it an essential tool for system administrators and power users. While it requires careful handling due to its immediate effect on disk structures, following proper safety procedures and best practices ensures reliable and efficient partition management.