Partition issues once again... need help merging.

[Simon]

I have done this before on my laptop now it is not working for me on my desktop PC.



In this image you can see HDD (dev/sda) and how I have this large unallocated block on dev/sda2. I want to merge it to sda1. Also I should state at this point sda2 is just my Linux OS back up and is not in use I am operating from my other HDD (dev/sdb).



I start by trying to reduce the size of sda2 to sperate the unallocated block from sda2.



I attempt to make "free space" before sda2 and after sda1 but the result is an obscure error.



Move partition ‘/dev/sda2’ to the right by 48.97 GiB and shrink it from 92.83 GiB to 43.86 GiB
Job: Check file system on partition ‘/dev/sda2’
Check file system on partition ‘/dev/sda2’: Success

Job: Set geometry of partition ‘/dev/sda2’: Start sector: 884,779,875, length: 91,988,190
Could not set geometry for partition ‘/dev/sda2’ while trying to resize/move it.
Set geometry of partition ‘/dev/sda2’: Start sector: 884,779,875, length: 91,988,190: Error

Moving extended partition ‘/dev/sda2’ failed.
Move partition ‘/dev/sda2’ to the right by 48.97 GiB and shrink it from 92.83 GiB to 43.86 GiB: Error

I also tried to make a file system on the unallocated block with similar results;

Create a new partition (48.97 GiB, ext2) on ‘/dev/sda’
Job: Create new partition on device ‘/dev/sda’
Failed to add partition ‘New Partition’ to device ‘/dev/sda’.
Create new partition on device ‘/dev/sda’: Error
Create a new partition (48.97 GiB, ext2) on ‘/dev/sda’: Error

I tried all formats and even attempted these operations from the live CD. No luck. So please tell me what I am doing wrong, but be gentle I bruise easy.

[Qqmike]

Just quickly looking at this (just woke up here ... ), IN THEORY, you should just have to 'move the left boundary of the extended partition sda2' to the right by an amount of space equal to that unallocated gap you wish to exclude from the extended partition.

Nothing wrong, I don't think, with KDE Partition editor. However, my chicken superstition anchors me with GParted (say GParted live CD or live USB, or you can install from Muon and, run it from another Linux OS on a HDD -- as you probably already know). If I were using GParted to do this, I would (in the move/resize window) use the graphical slider thingy to move that left sda2 boundary to the right until it stops where I want it to. At that point, click the go (or apply) button and it should be done. (There's an issue of the entry "free space before" in these panels, and I can't tell exactly what your sequence was (above); but if you actually move that graphical slider (for the left sda2 endpoint), then the proper resulting entries will fall into place correctly at the point that the left sda2 endpoint coincides with the start of the next partition (to the right).)

[Snowhog]

I don't think you can do what you are expressing you want to do. Reason: /dev/sda1 is a Primary Partition and /dev/sda2 is an Extended Partition. You can merge Primary to Primary, or Logical to Logical. You can't merge an Extended to either.

[Qqmike]

Tip
To grow or move a partition, unallocated space must be available adjacent to the partition.
If you are growing a logical partition, then the unallocated space must be within the extended partition.
If you are growing a primary partition, then the unallocated space must not be within the extended partition.
You can move unallocated space to be inside or outside of the extended partition by resizing the extended partition boundaries.

GParted Manual:
http://gparted.org/display-doc.php%3...size-partition

[Snowhog]

Yes, I don't disagree. But, didn't Simon state he wanted to merge /dev/sda2 to /dev/sda1 -- to 'join' them? That's how I read the question. IF that is the case, the desired action cannot be done, yes?

[Qqmike]

I think Simon wants to put that unallocated space OUTSIDE the extended partition, which means getting it over to the left (where, then, he could expand sda1 to include that unallocated space).

As for your question, Can you change the range of an extended partition to include partitions that WERE already made as primary partitions? ... I don't think you can do that. For example, in theory, ALL the partitions could be in the extended partition. But since sda1 is already made as a primary partition, I think it is "too late" to include it as a logical partition in the existing extended partition sda2 -- so I agree with you on that. I think this has to do with how extended partitions are set up -- as, basically, a linked data structure; and those links joining logical partitions could get to be a real complicated mess real quick.

[Simon]

Yes, I don't disagree. But, didn't Simon state he wanted to merge /dev/sda2 to /dev/sda1 -- to 'join' them? That's how I read the question. IF that is the case, the desired action cannot be done, yes?

I want the "unallocated block" that is currently stuck inside /dev/sda2 to join and become free usable space of /dev/sda1. I would still have sda1 and sda2, but sda1 increased by roughly 48 GB. As you can see this has been on my "to do list" for some time now. No hurry I have plenty of space... I just want my dead space back. The only option on the block is New and I went from Ext1 to swap and everything produces an error.

Thanks

[Snowhog]

You desire moving unallocated space contained within an Extended Partition, into a Primary Partition. You cannot do that, AFAIK.

[Qqmike]

I want the "unallocated block" that is currently stuck inside /dev/sda2 to join and become free usable space of /dev/sda1. I would still have sda1 and sda2, but sda1 increased by roughly 48 GB.

Yes. I think you can do that. That's what I addressed in Post #2. I would use GParted live CD/USB, though, just to eliminate one variable.

[Qqmike]

I mean, it can't hurt! You could try it.

You effectively do it by moving an endpoint (of the extended partition).

[Simon]

I did it guys, thanks to both of you!



I realized that Snowhog was saying that I could not mix milk with beer, it just don't work like that. Also I realized that Qqmike was correct in the fact that it could be done, just not with the limits of using KDE Partition Manager. So I booted the Live CD and told it I wanted to install Linux. I told it to use only the unallocated block as primary. Thus pulling off the old turning milk to beer trick! When I rebooted I deleted block using KDE Partition Manager, then expanded the sda1 into that free space. For some reason I lost my boot in the process and had to reinstall it and grub. Other than that, everything went just fine once I knew what was wrong with the method.

Thanks for the help!

[Qqmike]

First--and most importantly--Simon, I'm very glad you got it! That's what counts here.

Other than that, I'd say, hmmmm .... ! Installing Kubuntu into that unallocated space and calling it a primary partition ... somehow that caused the partitioner (in the installer) to flip that block out of the extended partition?! Or, did it cause the partitioner to actually reduce the size of the extended partition (as advocated in Post #2)? Who knows how that worked behind the scenes. Wow. I think I'd still prefer the (direct) method in Post #2, but I'm sure that stranger things have happened when it comes to this partitioning game, right?

[Simon]

A lot of what I do on a computer remains a mystery to me.

[Qqmike]

You must have known this would be coming .

I set up a flash drive exactly as in your Post #1 partition layout.
I then used gparted (installed in my working 14.04 OS) to accomplish the goals you specified, and I used the method described in Post #2.

All went well, no problems =>

1 Simply move the left endpoint of the extended partition to the right to take up that unallocated block.
2 Then observe that the unallocated block is no longer part of the extended partition.
3 Then resize sda1 by moving its right endpoint to the right to take up the block space created in Step 1.
4 Done deal.

Sorry, the OCD is acting up tonight, is all.