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    #1

    [SOLVED] SOLVED Partition Manager(s)?

    What is everyone using lately for a partition manager?

    I'm asking this somewhat prematurely, as I have not yet dug deep into it recently. I have been a die-hard fan of gparted. Looks like it is not being supported by Canonical since 10-23-2021. Also, while building a new system, I had a h&*l of a time trying to make gparted work on a live USB -- I used dd, and I used I think Unetbootin (my first time to do so). I finally gave up: couldn't get it to boot; then got it to boot and selected "Defaults" and got a blank screen, etc., etc.

    Now, here also, I'd like to hear your comments:

    I then ran the live Kubuntu 20.04, and from the live session opened KDE Partition Manager, and I tried to use it to partition my new SSD (SATA) drive. I created the ESP as FAT32, 200 MB, and then tried to mark it as "boot" (which equals ESP in a UEFI/GPt system). But ... no go! I could not see a flag for "boot" in KDE Partition Manager (under Partition > Properties). I only saw grub-boot (or is it boot-grub?), which I did not want (that flag is used for something else, as many of you know, like oshunluvr who has used it often).

    Finally, I gave up on gparted and KDE Partition Manger. Then ...

    I ran the 20.04 live USB installer, and I clicked Install, then Manual, then I did all the partitioning (of the new SSD) right there during the installation of 20.04 (which I have never done before, always using gparted before running the live Kubuntu USB installer). It worked wonderfully, without a hitch, easily marking the sda1 as the "esp" and so on.

    As you can see, I got a lesson in humility. Shocked that gparted failed (so I felt), then KDE Partition Manager didn't display the flags I was used to (for the ESP), and then finally using the K 20.04 installer USB to do it all.

    I'm really interested in your take on this bumpy trip I just encountered. Any insights or details would be helpful and appreciated.
    Last edited by Qqmike; Nov 26, 2021, 11:55 AM.
    An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way. Charles Bukowski
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    #2
    Well, when I use gParted, I get the most current version from https://gparted.org. Looking just now, it was last updated four days ago.
    Windows no longer obstructs my view.
    Using Kubuntu Linux since March 23, 2007.
    "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." - Sherlock Holmes​
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      #3
      I haven't partitioned a drive for installation purposes outside of the built-in tools provided by the installer in ages now, as far as I can remember. I am sure I have come across issues in the past, but it has been so long I can't recall.
      And I usually do custom partitions.
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        #4
        Thanks claydoh. The installer did good for me, too. I just like to have a stand-alone partitioner handy at times.

        Snowhog, have you made a workable live USB from it (for UEFI/EFI)?

        I will pursue this! Trying again to make a usable live gparted for UEFI. I sure don't recall it ever being an issue or so tricky/touchy. I always used dd and that was that.
        That issue with KDE Partition Manager is worrisome. Or ... I missed something in applying it to make the ESP = sda1.
        An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way. Charles Bukowski
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          #5
          Thanks claydoh. The installer did good for me, too. I just like to have a stand-alone partitioner handy at times.
          I just use the Kubuntu disk for that

          The GParted live iso should be install able using standard Linux usb creators (prob not the Ubuntu-specific one though) like Unetbootin, dd, and Balena Etcher
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            #6
            Claydoh, I'm gonna have to try it again, slowly. I will also try using the live Kubuntu USB, and install gparted from that (although there may be issues of how current the gparted is). I did try dd on the correct gparted download version -- so I thought. Some versions/methods work for EFI, some don't. When I get to this little project, I'll post back with results.

            I still want to know how KDE Partition Manager creates an ESP from sda1 Fat32 partition -- the issue of flags. (However, again, the live K 20.04 installer USB DID do everything correctly and clearly).
            An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way. Charles Bukowski
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              #7
              Already answered but to confirm, I use g-parted. just recent too on a friends PC. I use Ventoy to create a bootable USB that supports UEFI and boots from the ISO instead.
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                #8
                Thanks, MoonRise. Duly noted!
                An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way. Charles Bukowski
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                  #9
                  Originally posted by Qqmike View Post
                  ... then tried to mark it as "boot" ...
                  IIUC the boot flag is a BIOS/MBR concept, not a UEFI one. What matters is the presence of a valid ESP. Now, we're at the mercy of flaky UEFI implementations, and maybe early ones worried about the boot flag, I don't know. With multiple OS installs on a UEFI system they're all supposed to use the same ESP, so no boot flag is required.

                  I used to use gparted a lot, because there were things that it could do that the KDE partition manager wouldn't. But at some point the KDE one improved, and I've used it instead of gparted. They're both mostly just GUI front ends to "parted".

                  However, partition editing is much less needed than it once was. These days, I just put a btrfs on the whole of a drive, and use subvolumes to separate different installs. A huge time saver. As you say, if I'm doing an install to storage with no partitions, the installer can set it up.
                  Regards, John Little
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                    #10
                    Thanks, jlittle for your input. As for UEFI -> GPT -> ESP, my experience seems different from yours . I like the boot flag set on the ESP; and one may have several ESPs in action. The KDE Partition Manager should make it clear re how to mark a partition as the ESP. And so on ...

                    As for GParted Live USB, I got it working. Details follow:

                    I did exactly the same as in my OP.
                    I used dd to write the gparted iso directly, raw, to my flash drive.
                    I booted using that Live GParted flash drive.
                    It is seen as a bootable UEFI device by my very excellent ASUS UEFI-BIOS.
                    And here's the deal:
                    The GParted screen gives choices on how to use GParted.
                    I chose "Other modes of GParted"
                    That gave me more choices, and I chose: *GParted Live Safe Graphics Settings (VGA = normal)

                    That worked.

                    I did not (yet) test it, but in a pinch, I'm sure one could also do another way, too:
                    Boot your live Kubuntu USB flash drive. In the live session, install gparted. Use it, I'm sure it would work.

                    Anyway, I have a (dedicated) stand-alone GParted live flash drive I'm confident will work now (if using the right choices offered by GParted screens, that is).

                    Incidentally, I ran across this 2015 thread at GParted forums where I and another member had dd problems with their iso:

                    http://gparted-forum.surf4.info/viewtopic.php?id=17357

                    At that time, it * was * a bug.

                    Thanks, everyone. More & other comments are still welcome, of course. I'll mark it solved.
                    An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way. Charles Bukowski
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                      #11
                      In answer to your original question: sfdisk

                      I rarely trust something as important as partitioning to a GUI program.

                      Please Read Me
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