🚀 go-pugleaf

[Posted and mailed]

In article <fonxrengcphtbetnh.g6qx650.pminews@newshost.pcug.org.au>,
	"Shane Baker" <sbakerATpcug.org.au> writes:
> Giddy
> 
> I'm running out of space, my root partition is the last thing on the drive
> and I have heaps of unused space.  
> 
> I hear conflicting reports on PM and Linux.
> 
> Anyone know for certain whether I can extend my root partition with PM 5.01
> without buggering everything up?

For certain? Absolutely not. Just like I can't say for certain that
you'll be able to cross the street without being hit by a truck
(although your odds are better in the latter case). There are three
main dangers in using PM to resize a Linux partition:

1) It can hose the partition. Badly. To protect against this, make a
   backup first. If this is too much trouble, you *NEED* better backup
   hardware.
2) It may move the Linux kernel, in which case Linux won't boot. You can
   recover from this if you've prepared some alternative way to boot,
   such as putting the kernel and LOADLIN.EXE on a DOS boot floppy.
   (Test whatever method you use first, though.)
3) The partition numbering might change, in which case your /etc/fstab
   file will need editing. If you know you plan to insert or delete a
   partition, you can plan for this and do it just before you shut down
   and resize, and everything should be fine. There's a small chance
   that PM will change the partition numbers even if you just resize,
   and don't insert or delete, partitions. In this case, you'll need an
   emergency boot procedure so you can edit your /etc/fstab file after
   the fact.

#1 is the most serious problem, obviously; problems #2 and #3 are easily
overcome if you're even moderately prepared. Fortunately, problem #1 is
pretty rare, although not unheard-of. Problem #2 is moderately likely if
you're messing with the partition on which the kernel resides (which may
or may not be the root partition). It's more likely if you shrink or
move the partition than if you grow it.

-- 
Rod Smith, rodsmith@rodsbooks.com
http://www.rodsbooks.com
Author of books on Linux & multi-OS configuration