Partitioning Disks with fdisk and parted: A Practical Guide for Linux Users

Introduction

Disk partitioning is essential for organizing storage, dual-booting systems, or isolating data. While GUI tools exist, mastering command-line utilities like fdisk and parted gives you precise control. This guide explains both tools with practical examples.

⚠️ Warning:

• Back up critical data before partitioning.
• Use lsblk or sudo fdisk -l to identify disks.
• Operations require root access (sudo).
• Mistakenly modifying partitions can cause data loss!

🔧 Using fdisk (Legacy MBR Support)

1. Launch fdisk

sudo fdisk /dev/sdX  # Replace X with your disk (e.g., sda)

2. Key Commands

• n: Create new partition
• d: Delete partition
• p: View partition table
• t: Change partition type (e.g., Linux = 83, Swap = 82)
• w: Save changes & exit
• q: Quit without saving

3. Step-by-Step Example

Command (m for help): n  
Partition type: p (primary)  
Partition number: 1  
First sector: (Press Enter for default)  
Last sector: +10G (Creates 10GB partition)  

Command (m for help): t  
Selected partition 1  
Hex code: 83 (Set as Linux filesystem)  

Command (m for help): w (Write changes)

4. Format & Mount

sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdX1          # Format as ext4  
sudo mount /dev/sdX1 /mnt/newdisk # Mount to folder

🛠 Using parted (Supports GPT/MBR)

1. Launch parted

sudo parted /dev/sdX

2. Key Commands

• mkpart: Make partition
• rm [N]: Delete partition N
• print free: Show partition table & free space
• set [N] lvm on: Set flag (e.g., LVM)

3. Step-by-Step Example

(parted) mklabel gpt             # Use GPT partitioning  
(parted) mkpart                
Partition name? []: Data          
File system type? ext4           # Note: parted doesn’t format!  
Start? 1MiB                      
End? 5GiB                        

(parted) print free             # Verify  
(parted) quit

4. Format & Enable

sudo mkfs.ntfs /dev/sdX1        # Format as NTFS after creation  
sudo parted /dev/sdX set 1 lvm on # Enable LVM flag if needed

🔄 When to Use Which Tool?

✅ Post-Partitioning Steps

1. Update system:

   sudo partprobe /dev/sdX  # Reload partition table

2. Auto-mount at boot:
   Add to /etc/fstab:

   /dev/sdX1  /mnt/newdisk  ext4  defaults  0 2

💡 Pro Tips

• Test partitioning on a USB drive first.
• Use gdisk for advanced GPT operations.
• Always double-check device names (/dev/sda ≠ /dev/sdb!).

Partitioning empowers you to optimize storage for your workflow. With fdisk and parted, you’re equipped to handle both legacy and modern systems. Practice safely! 🐧