GNU Parted
Encyclopedia
GNU Parted is a free
partition editor
, used for creating, destroying, resizing, checking, and copying partitions, and the file system
s on them. This is useful for creating space for new operating system
s, reorganising hard disk
usage, copying data between hard disks, and disk imaging
. It was written by Andrew Clausen
and Lennert Buytenhek.
It consists of a library, libparted, and a command-line
front-end
, parted, that also serves as a reference implementation.
GNU Parted runs only under Linux
and GNU Hurd
.
nparted is the newt
-based front end to GNU Parted.
Projects have started for an ncurses
front-end, that also could be used in Windows (with GNUWin32
Ncurses).
fatresize offers a command-line interface
for FAT16/FAT32 non-destructive resize and uses the GNU Parted library.
and KDE Partition Manager
are graphical programs using the parted libraries. They are adapted for GNOME
and KDE
respectively; two major desktop environment
s for Unix-like installations. They are often included as utilities on many live CD
distributions to make partitioning easier. QtParted
was another graphical front-end based on Qt that is no longer being actively maintained.
Pyparted (also called python-parted) is the Python
front-end for GNU Parted.
Linux distribution
s that come with this application by default include Slackware
, Knoppix
, sidux
, SystemRescueCD
and Parted Magic.
partitions without external tools, such as the ntfsprogs
package. That means that one has to use a combination of a program to repair hard disk errors before parted if one wants to repartition a damaged hard disk. To overcome this limitation, many rescue discs include all the required utilities in one bootable CD, enabling resizing of most file systems.
Parted cannot handle the extended attributes of the ext2
file system, for instance, those related to SElinux. These extended attributes have to be removed to resize partitions with Parted.
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
partition editor
Partition editor
A partition editor is a kind of utility software designed to view, create, alter and delete disk partitions on a computer storage device, most commonly a hard disk, but often a USB flash drive or other storage medium.A partition is a section or segment of the storage space on a storage device...
, used for creating, destroying, resizing, checking, and copying partitions, and the file system
File system
A file system is a means to organize data expected to be retained after a program terminates by providing procedures to store, retrieve and update data, as well as manage the available space on the device which contain it. A file system organizes data in an efficient manner and is tuned to the...
s on them. This is useful for creating space for new operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
s, reorganising hard disk
Hard disk
A hard disk drive is a non-volatile, random access digital magnetic data storage device. It features rotating rigid platters on a motor-driven spindle within a protective enclosure. Data is magnetically read from and written to the platter by read/write heads that float on a film of air above the...
usage, copying data between hard disks, and disk imaging
Disk image
A disk image is a single file or storage device containing the complete contents and structure representing a data storage medium or device, such as a hard drive, tape drive, floppy disk, CD/DVD/BD, or USB flash drive, although an image of an optical disc may be referred to as an optical disc image...
. It was written by Andrew Clausen
Andrew Clausen
Andrew Clausen is an Australian free software developer and economist. He has worked on trust networks, in particular Google's PageRank algorithm. He is a co-author of GNU Parted....
and Lennert Buytenhek.
It consists of a library, libparted, and a command-line
Command-line interface
A command-line interface is a mechanism for interacting with a computer operating system or software by typing commands to perform specific tasks...
front-end
Front-end and back-end
Front end and back end are generalized terms that refer to the initial and the end stages of a process. The front end is responsible for collecting input in various forms from the user and processing it to conform to a specification the back end can use...
, parted, that also serves as a reference implementation.
GNU Parted runs only under Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
and GNU Hurd
GNU Hurd
GNU Hurd is a free software Unix-like replacement for the Unix kernel, released under the GNU General Public License. It has been under development since 1990 by the GNU Project of the Free Software Foundation...
.
Other front-ends
Newt (programming library)
Newt is a programming library for color text mode, widget-based user interfaces. Newt can be used to add stacked windows, entry widgets, checkboxes, radio buttons, labels, plain text fields, scrollbars, etc., to text user interfaces...
-based front end to GNU Parted.
Projects have started for an ncurses
Ncurses
ncurses is a programming library that provides an API which allows the programmer to write text user interfaces in a terminal-independent manner. It is a toolkit for developing "GUI-like" application software that runs under a terminal emulator...
front-end, that also could be used in Windows (with GNUWin32
GnuWin32
The GnuWin32 project provides native ports in the form of runnable computer programs, patches, and source code for various GNU and open source tools and software, much of it modified to run on the 32-bit Windows platform...
Ncurses).
fatresize offers a command-line interface
Command-line interface
A command-line interface is a mechanism for interacting with a computer operating system or software by typing commands to perform specific tasks...
for FAT16/FAT32 non-destructive resize and uses the GNU Parted library.
Graphical front-ends
GPartedGParted
GParted is a GTK+ front-end to GNU Parted and the official GNOME Partition Editor application.It is used for creating, deleting, resizing, moving, checking and copying partitions, and the file systems on them...
and KDE Partition Manager
KDE Partition Manager
KDE Partition Manager is a disk partitioning application for the KDE Platform. It was first released for KDE SC 4.1. It is released independently of the central KDE release cycle....
are graphical programs using the parted libraries. They are adapted for GNOME
GNOME
GNOME is a desktop environment and graphical user interface that runs on top of a computer operating system. It is composed entirely of free and open source software...
and KDE
KDE
KDE is an international free software community producing an integrated set of cross-platform applications designed to run on Linux, FreeBSD, Microsoft Windows, Solaris and Mac OS X systems...
respectively; two major desktop environment
Desktop environment
In graphical computing, a desktop environment commonly refers to a style of graphical user interface derived from the desktop metaphor that is seen on most modern personal computers. These GUIs help the user in easily accessing, configuring, and modifying many important and frequently accessed...
s for Unix-like installations. They are often included as utilities on many live CD
Live CD
A live CD, live DVD, or live disc is a CD or DVD containing a bootable computer operating system. Live CDs are unique in that they have the ability to run a complete, modern operating system on a computer lacking mutable secondary storage, such as a hard disk drive...
distributions to make partitioning easier. QtParted
QtParted
QtParted is a program for Linux which is used for creating, destroying, resizing and managing partitions. It uses the GNU Parted libraries and is built with the Qt toolkit. Like GNU Parted, it has inherent support for the resizing of NTFS partitions, using the ntfsresize utility...
was another graphical front-end based on Qt that is no longer being actively maintained.
Pyparted (also called python-parted) is the Python
Python (programming language)
Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language whose design philosophy emphasizes code readability. Python claims to "[combine] remarkable power with very clear syntax", and its standard library is large and comprehensive...
front-end for GNU Parted.
Linux distribution
Linux distribution
A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications...
s that come with this application by default include Slackware
Slackware
Slackware is a free and open source Linux-based operating system. It was one of the earliest operating systems to be built on top of the Linux kernel and is the oldest currently being maintained. Slackware was created by Patrick Volkerding of Slackware Linux, Inc. in 1993...
, Knoppix
Knoppix
Knoppix, or KNOPPIX , is an operating system based on Debian designed to be run directly from a CD / DVD or a USB key , one of the first of its kind for any operating system. Knoppix was developed by Linux consultant Klaus Knopper. When starting a program, it is loaded from the removable medium...
, sidux
Sidux
aptosid is a desktop-oriented operating system based on the "unstable" branch of Debian, which uses the codename Sid. It was known as sidux until September 2010. The distribution consists of a Live CD for the x86 architecture installable to a hard drive through a graphical installer...
, SystemRescueCD
SystemRescueCD
SystemRescueCd is an operating system for the x86 computer platform, though the primary purpose of SystemRescueCD is to repair unbootable or otherwise damaged computer systems after a system crash. SystemRescueCD is not intended to be used as a permanent operating system. It runs from a Live CD or...
and Parted Magic.
Limitations
Parted has some limitations. For example, it cannot resize NTFSNTFS
NTFS is the standard file system of Windows NT, including its later versions Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, and Windows 7....
partitions without external tools, such as the ntfsprogs
Ntfsprogs
Ntfsprogs is a collection of free Unix utilities for managing the NTFS filesystem used by Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7 on a harddisk partition. 'ntfsprogs' was the first stable method of writing to NTFS partitions in...
package. That means that one has to use a combination of a program to repair hard disk errors before parted if one wants to repartition a damaged hard disk. To overcome this limitation, many rescue discs include all the required utilities in one bootable CD, enabling resizing of most file systems.
Parted cannot handle the extended attributes of the ext2
Ext2
The ext2 or second extended filesystem is a file system for the Linux kernel. It was initially designed by Rémy Card as a replacement for the extended file system ....
file system, for instance, those related to SElinux. These extended attributes have to be removed to resize partitions with Parted.
See also
- List of disk partitioning software
- fdiskFdiskOn personal computer operating systems, fdisk is a commonly used name for a command-line utility that provides disk partitioning functions...
- cfdiskCfdiskcfdisk is a Linux partition editor, similar to fdisk, but with a different user interface . It is part of the util-linux package of Linux utility programs.Originally written in 1992, the current version is 2.12r....
- gpartGpartGpart is a software utility which scans a storage device, examining the data in order to detect partitions which may exist but are absent from the disk's partition tables. Gpart was written by Michail Brzitwa of Germany. The release on the author's website is now older than the releases some...
- gpartedGPartedGParted is a GTK+ front-end to GNU Parted and the official GNOME Partition Editor application.It is used for creating, deleting, resizing, moving, checking and copying partitions, and the file systems on them...
- FIPSFIPS (computer program)FIPS is a DOS program for non-destructive splitting of FAT hard disk partitions.Splitting partitions is an alternative to deleting the partitions and creating new ones using software such as fdisk, the advantage of which is that the data is not lost...
- Master Boot Record manager