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Exercise solutions: Hard disk layout

Solutions for setting up your Linux system and software

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The exact output from the fdisk and parted commands will vary depending on how your system is equipped and configured.

Solution for exercise 1. Work with fdisk commands

Listing 1 provides the code response:

Listing 1. fdisk commands in interactive modes

	
[tbost@linux ~]$ sudo fdisk /dev/sdb1

Command (m for help): m
Command action
   a   toggle a bootable flag
   b   edit bsd disklabel
   c   toggle the dos compatibility flag
   d   delete a partition
   l   list known partition types
   m   print this menu
   n   add a new partition
   o   create a new empty DOS partition table
   p   print the partition table
   q   quit without saving changes
   s   create a new empty Sun disklabel
   t   change a partition's system id
   u   change display/entry units
   v   verify the partition table
   w   write table to disk and exit
   x   extra functionality (experts only)

Command (m for help): l
...
82  Linux swap / Solaris
83  Linux 
...

The sequence of steps in exercise 1 is as follows:

As sudo user, use the fdisk /dev/sdb1 command to enter fdisk interactive mode.
Your hard disk mount point may differ.
In interactive mode, type m to obtain a listing of available commands.

Solution for exercise 2. Use fdisk to create partitions

Listing 2 shows how to proceed and lists typical output:

Listing 2. Using fdisk to design partitions

	
Command (m for help): n
Command action
   e   extended
   p   primary partition (1-4)
p
Partition number (1-4, default 1):
First sector (2048-7831543, default 2048):     
Using default value 2048
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G} 
(2048-7831543, default 7831543): +100M

Command (m for help): n
Command action
   e   extended
   p   primary partition (1-4)
p
Partition number (1-4, default 2): 
Using default value 2
First sector (206848-7831543, default 206848): 
Using default value 206848
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G}
(206848-7831543, default 7831543): +2G

Command (m for help): n
Command action
   e   extended
   p   primary partition (1-4)
p
Partition number (1-4, default 3): 
Using default value 3
First sector (4401152-7831543, default 4401152): 
Using default value 4401152
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G} 
 (4401152-7831543, default 7831543): +1G

Command (m for help): n
Command action
   e   extended
   p   primary partition (1-4)
p
Selected partition 4
First sector (6498304-7831543, default 6498304): 
Using default value 6498304
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G}
 (6498304-7831543, default 7831543): +500M

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/sdb1: 4009 MB, 4009750528 bytes
124 heads, 62 sectors/track, 1018 cylinders, total 7831544 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x6f20736b

     Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1p1            2048      206847      102400   83  Linux
/dev/sdb1p2          206848     4401151     2097152   83  Linux
/dev/sdb1p3         4401152     6498303     1048576   83  Linux
/dev/sdb1p4         6498304     7522303      512000   83  Linux

Command (m for help): t
Partition number (1-4): 4
Hex code (type L to list codes): 82
Changed system type of partition 4 to 82 (Linux swap / Solaris)

Command (m for help): n

Disk /dev/sdb1: 4009 MB, 4009750528 bytes
124 heads, 62 sectors/track, 1018 cylinders, total 7831544 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x6f20736b

     Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1p1            2048      206847      102400   83  Linux
/dev/sdb1p2          206848     4401151     2097152   83  Linux
/dev/sdb1p3         4401152     6498303     1048576   83  Linux
/dev/sdb1p4         6498304     7522303      512000   82  Linux swap / Solaris

Command (m for help): w

The sequence of steps in exercise 2 is as follows:

For each new partition, type n to create a new partition.
Enter p for a primary partition.
If you intend to create more than four partitions, type e at the number 4 partition for extended. The remaining will be logical partitions.
Enter the appropriate partition number (1 through 4 ).
Accept the default start sector for each partition.
For the ending sector, enter the appropriate size in either megabytes or gigabytes, preceded with the plus sign (+).
For example, on partition 1, type +100M.
Type t to change a partition file system type.
Enter 4 for partition 4, and then 82 to change to Linux Swap.
Type w to write to the partition table and exit.

Solution for exercise 3. Use fdisk to toggle bootable flag

Listing 3 shows how to proceed for exercise 3:

Listing 3. Toggle the bootable flag with fdisk

	
Command (m for help): a
Partition number (1-4): 1

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/sdb1: 4009 MB, 4009750528 bytes
124 heads, 62 sectors/track, 1018 cylinders, total 7831544 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x6f20736b

     Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1p1   *        2048      206847      102400   83  Linux
/dev/sdb1p2          206848     4401151     2097152   83  Linux
/dev/sdb1p3         4401152     6498303     1048576   83  Linux
/dev/sdb1p4         6498304     7522303      512000   82  Linux swap / Solaris

Command (m for help):

The sequence of steps in exercise 3 is as follows:

Enter a to denote that you want to set a bootable flag partition.
Type 1 for partition 1.
Type p to verify the change.

Solution for exercise 4. Work with parted commands

Listing 4 provides the code response:

Listing 4. parted commands in interactive mode

	
[tbost@linux ~]$ sudo parted /dev/sdb1 
GNU Parted 2.3
Using /dev/sdb1
Welcome to GNU Parted! Type 'help' to view a list of commands.
(parted)help
 align-check TYPE N                        check partition N for TYPE(min|opt)
        alignment
  check NUMBER                             do a simple check on the file system
  cp [FROM-DEVICE] FROM-NUMBER TO-NUMBER   copy file system to another partition
  help [COMMAND]                           print general help, or help on
        COMMAND
  mklabel,mktable LABEL-TYPE               create a new disklabel (partition
        table)
  mkfs NUMBER FS-TYPE                      make a FS-TYPE file system on
        partition NUMBER
  mkpart PART-TYPE [FS-TYPE] START END     make a partition
...
...
...
(parted) p
Model: Unknown (unknown)
Disk /dev/sdb1: 4010MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number  Start   End     Size    Type     File system  Flags
 1      1049kB  106MB   105MB   primary               boot
 2      106MB   2253MB  2147MB  primary  
 3      2253MB  3327MB  1074MB  primary
 4      3327MB  3851MB  524MB   primary

The sequence of steps in exercise 4 is as follows:

As sudo user, use the parted/dev/sdb1 command to enter parted interactive mode.
Your hard disk mount point may differ.
Type help to display available commands.
Listing 4 shows a partial list of available commands.
Type p to print the partition table to screen.

Solution for exercise 5. Use parted to change the mode of unit display

Listing 5 shows expected inputs and typical outputs:

Listing 5. Unit display in terabytes

	
(parted) help u
  unit UNIT   set the default unit to UNIT

UNIT is one of: s, B, kB, MB, GB, TB, compact, cyl, chs, %, kiB, MiB,
 GiB, TiB

(parted) u TB                                                            
(parted)p        
Model: Unknown (unknown)
Disk /dev/sdb1: 0.00TB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number  Start   End     Size    Type     File system  Flags
 1      0.00TB  0.00TB  0.00TB  primary               boot
 2      0.00TB  0.00TB  0.00TB  primary  
 3      0.00TB  0.00TB  0.00TB  primary
 4      0.00TB  0.00TB  0.00TB  primary

The sequence of steps in exercise 5 is as follows:

Type help u to display available unit display types.
Type u TB to change the unit display mode to terabyte.
Enter p to print the partition table to screen.
Listing 5 shows all zeros for TB, because the hard disk is only 4GB in size. Your display results may differ.

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Exercise solutions: Hard disk layout

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