Gparted questions

Never Fear, Smith is here (Lost in Space).

I'm around, Charlie. Back soon.

Wiz
@wizardfromoz
After reading what you went through with our friend JL, it is no wonder I have not seen nor heard from you for a bit. LOL.
I got lost in what he was trying to do about half way through your dialogue.
Anyhow, I got a little more busy with taking some more screenshots - this time of the cat /etc/fstab in the terminal.
I'll show them in my next post; so they will be all by their lonesome self - and easier to keep track of.
I'll keep reading that 'book' between you and JL and accomplish whatever I think might be of help to you - in your helping me.
Adios for now.
TC
 


@wizardfromoz
Here are the screenshots that cover the cat /etc/fstab files on all the os's I have.
Lubuntu
Lubuntu.jpg


LM tessa
LM_Tessa.png


Feren
Feren_12-12-19.png


BlueStar
BlueStar.png


Xbuntu
Xubuntu_Xfce.png


Elementary
Elementary.png


Peppermint
Peppermint.png


Linux Lite
Linux_Lite.png


Doge Linux
Screenshot from 2019-12-12 20-06-01.png


LM Tina 19.2
LM_19.png


One thing I noticed is that 7 Seven of these OS's have swap in them.
Anyhow, back to my 'book' for more learning. o_Oo_O LOL
Old Geezer
TC
 
Just a holding Post for now, Charlie.

That stuff with Jeffrey Lapinski - I dealt with him in a number of matters. The most comprehensive Thread on the subject of a file called custom.cfg for use with Arch-based Distros was here

https://linux.org/threads/manjaro-kernel-panics-and-other-tips-for-arch-based-distros.19795/

BUT if you are going to get rid of Bluestar it does not apply to your current circumstances, and if my notes are correct, Bluestar is one of only a few Arch-based Distros exempt from it.

Back in about 18 hours, good night from Australia

Wiz
 
Just a holding Post for now, Charlie.

That stuff with Jeffrey Lapinski - I dealt with him in a number of matters. The most comprehensive Thread on the subject of a file called custom.cfg for use with Arch-based Distros was here

https://linux.org/threads/manjaro-kernel-panics-and-other-tips-for-arch-based-distros.19795/

BUT if you are going to get rid of Bluestar it does not apply to your current circumstances, and if my notes are correct, Bluestar is one of only a few Arch-based Distros exempt from it.

Back in about 18 hours, good night from Australia

Wiz

Thanks Wiz, @wizardfromoz
I think I will pass on doing the custom.cfg for the present time. I am saving all of your instructions in a separate file - for future reference.
Looks like it would be fine to just leave Bluestar where it's at. It's not taking up that much space so, unless you recco otherwise, we can leave it alone.
I'll get back with you on your return.
Old Geezer
TC
 
I have another question.
1 - Would it be safe to re-size the sdb 1 partition, like maybe down to about 20 GiB?

No point, currently, Charlie :oops: Wouldn't make a difference, you can't use the redeemed space.

Let me explain.

Under BIOS-MBR, there is the 4-partition Rule. This was implemented with MS-DOS by you know who, and has nothing to do with any blame on LInux.

With that Rule, you can have up to 4 Primary Partitions - a couple of them might have Windows stuff on them, or not, one might be Swap if you used it.

If you want to go past the 4-limit, you have to create an Extended Partition, which takes up next to no space itself, but acts as an umbrella over the top of Virtual Partitions you can create to hold - of course, more Linux.

So you would make /dev/sda4 typically (dev/sdb4 in your case) the Extended, and then the first Virtual Partition which would act as Root / for another LInux would be /dev/sda5.

Swap, when used in a Partition, does not care if it is on a Primary Partition or a Virtual Partition, so it could be on /dev/sda2 or 3, or on /dev/sda5 or more.

What you have done, and this is a simple (not quite) error to make, is to jump in early and make your /dev/sdb2 the Extended.

Linux follows what it is told to do with the Rule, and so your first Virtual Partition, /dev/sdb5 which houses Elementary 5.0 'Juno', is number just that - 5.

You lose the opportunity to make use of /dev/sdb3 and /dev/sdb4 completely.

The only way to remedy that would be to delete the Linuxes from /dev/sdb5 to 10, then remove the Extended Partition /dev/sdb2 and put stuff on /dev/sdb2 and /dev/sdb3 and make /dev/sdb4 your Extended and then work from there with a new /dev/sdb5.

Bottom line for your question is that you can resize /dev/sdb1 using the GParted in another Distro, but you won't gain anything of useful value.

Doesn't matter in the long term if we change the setup to UEFI-GPT.

Gotta scoot and cook tea.

Later

Wiz
 
Hi @wizardfromoz
Thanks for the info.
Along with more info comes more questions - of course!!!
You mentioned that I need to make dev/sdb 4 the extended partition. How do I do that?
I deleted everything on dev/sdb and now here is what it looks like:
dev-sdb.png


What is my next step please?

Your humbled servant
Old Geezer
 
Do I take it that you still have a working computer, Old Geezer? :)

That would involve one of your Distros from /dev/sda holding Prime Partition currently on your Grub Menu.

If all OK, then pick 4 Distros you want to install on /dev/sdb and we'll go from there. Let us know which they are.

Wiz
 
@wizardfromoz Oh Wise Wiz One,
You take it right. I can still use the lappie even with all its' foibles.
Here's a SS of the sda part.
dev-sda.png


I did not mess with the sda.
However, I did plug in the new 3 TB Seagate to the lappie and it was recognized right away.
I then opened up the live gparted and it showed this:
dev-sdc.png


I labeled it myself and made it larger than it started.
That's it for tonight. I'll finish installing 4 OSs' tomorrow and send the results to you.
G'nite to you and 'all the ships at sea'.
Old Geezer
TC
 
@wizardfromoz
Hello from the winter wonder land!
Here's a pic of the Grub order.
I guess I don't understand how to make sdb 4 the extended partition - - yet.
12-15-19.jpg


The distros I put on are Peppermint, LM 19.2 Mate Sylvia, LinuxLite 4.2 and Elementary.
The present state of sdb. {I was able to label them using gparted live}
12-15-19-sdb.png


I lost 2, 3, and 4 again.
I have been plugging in the USB live iso of each distro and installing from there. Is there another way of installing them?
The 'Getting Older' Geezer {and loving it!} :D
TC
 

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