Linux

How to Create and Manage Disk Partitions in Linux

The fdisk command in Linux is a powerful tool for managing disk partitions. It allows you to create, delete, resize, and modify partitions on storage devices.

Alby Andersen
By Alby Andersen
linux

The fdisk command in Linux is a powerful disk partitioning tool used to create, delete, and modify disk partitions. It is commonly used to manage disk drives and partitions on a system. While fdisk works primarily with MBR (Master Boot Record) partition schemes, it also supports GPT (GUID Partition Table) on modern systems.

Contents
List All Disks and PartitionsStart fdisk for a Specific DiskCreate a New PartitionDelete a PartitionChange Partition TypeDisplay Partition TableResize a PartitionVerify Partition ChangesSave Changes and ExitDiscard Changes and ExitCreate a GPT Partition TableCreate an MBR Partition TableDisplay Help Menu

List All Disks and Partitions

sudo fdisk -l


Displays information about all disks and their partitions.

Start fdisk for a Specific Disk

sudo fdisk /dev/sda


Opens the fdisk interface for /dev/sda.

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Create a New Partition

  1. Start fdisk for the disk:
   sudo fdisk /dev/sda
  1. Press n to create a new partition.
  2. Follow the prompts to specify the partition type (primary/extended), size, and location.
  3. Press w to write changes and exit.

Delete a Partition

  1. Start fdisk for the disk:
   sudo fdisk /dev/sda
  1. Press d to delete a partition.
  2. Select the partition number to delete.
  3. Press w to save changes.

Change Partition Type

  1. Start fdisk for the disk:
   sudo fdisk /dev/sda
  1. Press t to change the partition type.
  2. Enter the partition number and the type code (e.g., 83 for Linux, 8e for LVM).
  3. Press w to save changes.

Display Partition Table

  1. Start fdisk for the disk:
   sudo fdisk /dev/sda
  1. Press p to print the partition table.

Resize a Partition

  1. Start fdisk for the disk:
   sudo fdisk /dev/sda
  1. Delete the partition (d) and recreate it (n) with the new size.
  2. Note: Resizing may require additional tools like resize2fs for ext4 partitions.

Verify Partition Changes

  1. Start fdisk for the disk:
   sudo fdisk /dev/sda
  1. Press v to verify the partition table for errors.

Save Changes and Exit

  1. Start fdisk for the disk:
   sudo fdisk /dev/sda
  1. Press w to write changes and exit.

Discard Changes and Exit

  1. Start fdisk for the disk:
   sudo fdisk /dev/sda
  1. Press q to quit without saving changes.

Create a GPT Partition Table

  1. Start fdisk for the disk:
   sudo fdisk /dev/sda
  1. Press g to create a new GPT partition table.
  2. Press w to save changes.

Create an MBR Partition Table

  1. Start fdisk for the disk:
   sudo fdisk /dev/sda
  1. Press o to create a new MBR (DOS) partition table.
  2. Press w to save changes.

Display Help Menu

  1. Start fdisk for the disk:
   sudo fdisk /dev/sda
  1. Press m to display the help menu with all available commands.

Key Notes:

  • Backup Data: Always back up your data before modifying partitions.
  • Partition Types: Use l in fdisk to list all supported partition types.
  • GPT vs. MBR: GPT supports larger disks (>2TB) and more partitions.
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