A newbie question - trying to resize a given 15GB vdi file to a bigger one
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From: tino on 16 Jul 2010 04:02 Hello group :) I originally posted this question in the Ruby on Rails talk group but thought I should go ahead and ask it here as well (anybody who sees this twice - sorry for multiple posts) I am very new to Linux (using it about a week or so.. I'm using a Windows Vista 64bit host machine, on which I installed the latest VirtualBox (3.2.6). The problem occured when using a guest machine image based on Linux 8 Helena.. being a newbie I thought this image could help me start without the need of installing everything from scratch, at least till I acquire enough knowledge to do so more confidently Anyway - I used the following: http://www.virtualrails.org/ My question: I've been using Virtual Rails for about a week.. pretty quick and with no special effort I got 13GB out of the available fixed 15GB used (I realise a more experienced Linux user could maybe have done what I did with less.. but in my feeling 15 GB are pretty limiting and I don't wish to constantly keep worrying about the capacity of my guest machine..) Therefore - went ahead and read about resizing partitions.. Have found some really great tutorials out there and followed a procedure using GParted Live CD in order to copy the existing partition into a bigger one. (looked into these tutorials among many others: http://www.my-guides.net/en/content/view/122/1/ http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=364&start=30 ) Anyway, my existing (smaller) partition had a primary partition (flagged with 'boot'), with ext4 file system and in addition the HD had an extended small partition of about 690MB and inside had /dev/ sda5 marked with 'linux swap'.. I'm mentioning these setting by heart now so hope I'm not using the terms wrongly (if I do - please forgive me and of course - correct me whenever you can, I really am a newbie and I want to learn and understand:) ).. Anyway - tried to copy these setting (both the primary partition and the extended one into the bigger HD I put as a primary slave.. yet any combination I tried (and tried a lot, everything I could think about, moving, resizing, leaving extra room unallocated..) - gave me an error saying (referring to the /dev/sda5 copying only) - the source is bigger than the destination and therefore the copying did not work.. (I suspect it might be related to this: http://gparted.sourceforge.net/download.php ) Anyway, when I try to copy only the primary partition and resizing it to the new bigger HD it works fine..but when I try to boot with the new image as a primary master (after removing the smaller old vdi file) - I get a blank black screen with a white static underscore at the top left (there's a better name to it I think.. just can't recall it now..). So - I did some reading.. these tutorials I mentioned had people also having similar problems.. I tried: 1) botting with the original image as primary master and the new bigger one as primary slave.. it works, but I'm not sure this is ok and being a newbie I don't know whether that's a good thing to do and what are the consequences.. also, what happens if I want to use 'clonevdi'? do I need to cloe both hard disks in such a case? anyway, I saw some people mentioning runing this configuration (master & slave as described) and then running Roadkil's BootBuilder and following some additional steps - http://www.majorgeeks.com/Roadkils_Boot_Builder_d4980.html ) when trying to run this file I'm greeted with this message for running the exe file: "Unable to find an interpreter for ./bootbuild.exe" or when trying to run the zip (from terminal that is) I get: "invalid file (bad magic number): Exec format error".. trying to run from Nautilus did not cause this thing to work either (I did add execution permissions since at first I seemed to have no executing permission on this file and had different errors) so - that did not do the work for me.. I realise what's happening is the new HD has no boot sector.. tried to read about GRUB but was afraid to do some more damage as I really don't feel I understand enough right now about Linux to do this, unless you guys tell me I should (plus maybe some guildelines which may help a bit..) anyway, I did read but wasn't sure it was the solution I should study and follow.. I also tried to download Linux Mint 8 Helena CD from the website (when downloading the VirtualRails vdi I didn't have the original Helena Live CD along but I assume they used this one) and boot from there.. I couldn't do anything useful booting from the Compatibility mode.. it did not have a recovery mode.. so used the regular mode.. where the farthest I reached was to see I had another HD containing more GB (resized to 40GB.. so saw something containing 38GB).. but didn't know where to go from there and even how to access it and how to repair the boot information there.. also tried to run in this config GParted (saw the CD of Helena had it) - but for some reason it did not run or do anything and anyway - I felt I was improvising too much for my beginner level..) So - this is where I'm at.. pretty stuck. If anybody here can tell me how should this be done (if at all.. ), I'd greatly (really!!) appreciate it.. Otherwise, if there's no way to resize the that Virtual Rails partition to a bigger one or if there's no other bigger version (perhaps from a DVD installation and not a CD one with less things on it (like OpenJDK instead of Sun Java for instance..) - I'll switch to a different solution - and in which case (still I'd love to know and learn how the problem I described above should be solved..) - I wonder if there are any recommendations you could share.. I simoltaneously installed a fresh Ubuntu 10.04 LTS on my VB (with 100GB *grin*) thinking I should be doing the whole configuration and stuff by myself now.. I'm planning to follow mainly the tutorials from Rails Wiki - http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/getting-started/installation/linux - and Ubuntu RoR page - https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RubyOnRails - hoping the knowledge I've gained so far will be sufficient to be able to do this correctly.. even these two links do not completely overlap and there some more alternate ways I found.. so I mainly feel insecure here and very eager to be able to go back to study RoR and write some code as well (while learning linux and using it) So - hope this post was clear enough.. I'd greatly appreciate any answers. Many thanks! Best, tino
From: tino on 17 Jul 2010 04:39 On Jul 17, 2:44 am, Hans-Peter Diettrich <DrDiettri...(a)aol.com> wrote: > tino schrieb: > > > I am very new to Linux (using it about a week or so.. > > I'm using Linux a bit longer, but still cannot give concrete advice :-( > > > I'm using a Windows Vista 64bit host machine, on which I installed the > > latest VirtualBox (3.2.6). > > The problem occured when using a guest machine image based on Linux 8 > > Helena.. being a newbie I thought this image could help me start > > without the need of installing everything from scratch, at least till > > I acquire enough knowledge to do so more confidently > > Installing Linux can be fun, depending on the distro. I'd give it a try, > at least... > > > I've been usingVirtualRailsfor about a week.. pretty quick > > and with no special effort I got 13GB out of the available fixed 15GB > > used (I realise a more experienced Linux user could maybe have done > > what I did with less.. but in my feeling 15 GB are > > pretty limiting and I don't wish to constantly keep worrying about the > > capacity of my guest machine..) > > > Therefore - went ahead and read about resizing partitions.. > > You may be better of with a secondvirtualdrive, that you mount for > your existing (or better a new user) home directory, or as a dedicated > ~/Data directory. Even if Linux has only one root directory, you can > mount additional disks (partitions) as any folder. Simply think of > ~/Data like of a Windows D:\ drive. The only requirement: the mountpoint > (folder) must be empty, or a new folder, otherwise you cannot mount > anything into it. Then move all important files from your home directory > to that new directory or user, and don't forget to clear the trash > folder. Then 15GB should be enough for the OS disk. > Thank you :) Your offered solution sounds like something I'm goona try today.. Got it :) Think will stick to your recommendation and not try to resize bootable partitions, at least till I acquire sufficient knowledge + really have to :) I'll look into mountpoints then and how to add another partition correctly (at the moment of writing before studying what you suggested I'm still not sure whether the additional partition should be formatted as "primary" or "extended" partition.. my guess it can be primary.. but as I wrote, will read more before writing any further guesses which may be wrong..) > > Have found some really great tutorials out there and followed a > > procedure using GParted Live CD in order to copy the existing > > partition into a bigger one. > > I never did so, moving bootable systems looks quite complicated to me :-( > > > Anyway, when I try to copy only the primary partition and resizing it > > to the new bigger HD it works fine..but when I try to boot with the > > new image as a primary master (after removing the smaller old vdi > > file) - I get a blank black screen with a white static underscore at > > the top > > left (there's a better name to it I think.. just can't recall it > > now..). > > That's why I ... ;-) > > > I simoltaneously installed a fresh Ubuntu 10.04 LTS on my VB (with > > 100GB *grin*) thinking I should be doing the whole configuration and > > stuff by myself now.. > > Consider to use multiple disks or partitions the next time, for e.g. > /usr, /tmp and /home/yourname - have a look at the suggested mountpoints > in GParted. Extending such additional partitions should be easy, later, > because they do not affect booting from your dedicated OS drive. > > DoDi Thanks again :) tino
From: tino on 17 Jul 2010 04:44 On Jul 16, 5:38 pm, J. Todd <jet...(a)bc-mung-supernet.com> wrote: > In article <597668e4-079a-4b05-a228- > 5a884f14b...(a)r27g2000yqb.googlegroups.com>, tinodev...(a)gmail.com says...> Hello group :) > > > I originally posted this question in the Ruby onRailstalk group but > > thought I should go ahead and ask it here as well (anybody who sees > > this twice - sorry for multiple posts) > > > I am very new to Linux (using it about a week or so.. > > > I'm using a Windows Vista 64bit host machine, on which I installed the > > latest VirtualBox (3.2.6). > > Why? Why not resize the Vista partition with GParted and install > Linux without the added layer? > > --- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: n...(a)netfront.net --- I understand :) Think there are a few more good options I could follow... which I'll certainly try next time I buy / format a whole computer.. will probably happen sooner than later, but for the time being - I was wondering whether someone has a suggestion concerning the situation I described in my original post :) thanks, tino
From: tino on 17 Jul 2010 04:46 On Jul 17, 11:44 am, tino <tinodev...(a)gmail.com> wrote: > On Jul 16, 5:38 pm, J. Todd <jet...(a)bc-mung-supernet.com> wrote: > > > > > In article <597668e4-079a-4b05-a228- > > 5a884f14b...(a)r27g2000yqb.googlegroups.com>, tinodev...(a)gmail.com says....> Hello group :) > > > > I originally posted this question in the Ruby onRailstalk group but > > > thought I should go ahead and ask it here as well (anybody who sees > > > this twice - sorry for multiple posts) > > > > I am very new to Linux (using it about a week or so.. > > > > I'm using a Windows Vista 64bit host machine, on which I installed the > > > latest VirtualBox (3.2.6). > > > Why? Why not resize the Vista partition with GParted and install > > Linux without the added layer? > > > --- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: n...(a)netfront.net --- > Ahh.. didn't mention.. this one was @ J.Todd: > I understand :) > Think there are a few more good options I could follow... which I'll > certainly try next time I buy / format a whole computer.. will > probably happen sooner than later, but for the time being - I was > wondering whether someone has a suggestion concerning the situation I > described in my original post :) > > thanks, > tino
From: tino on 17 Jul 2010 04:51
On Jul 17, 11:39 am, tino <tinodev...(a)gmail.com> wrote: > On Jul 17, 2:44 am, Hans-Peter Diettrich <DrDiettri...(a)aol.com> wrote: > > > > > tino schrieb: > > > > I am very new to Linux (using it about a week or so.. > > > I'm using Linux a bit longer, but still cannot give concrete advice :-( > > > > I'm using a Windows Vista 64bit host machine, on which I installed the > > > latest VirtualBox (3.2.6). > > > The problem occured when using a guest machine image based on Linux 8 > > > Helena.. being a newbie I thought this image could help me start > > > without the need of installing everything from scratch, at least till > > > I acquire enough knowledge to do so more confidently > > > Installing Linux can be fun, depending on the distro. I'd give it a try, > > at least... > > > > I've been usingVirtualRailsfor about a week.. pretty quick > > > and with no special effort I got 13GB out of the available fixed 15GB > > > used (I realise a more experienced Linux user could maybe have done > > > what I did with less.. but in my feeling 15 GB are > > > pretty limiting and I don't wish to constantly keep worrying about the > > > capacity of my guest machine..) > > > > Therefore - went ahead and read about resizing partitions.. > > > You may be better of with a secondvirtualdrive, that you mount for > > your existing (or better a new user) home directory, or as a dedicated > > ~/Data directory. Even if Linux has only one root directory, you can > > mount additional disks (partitions) as any folder. Simply think of > > ~/Data like of a Windows D:\ drive. The only requirement: the mountpoint > > (folder) must be empty, or a new folder, otherwise you cannot mount > > anything into it. Then move all important files from your home directory > > to that new directory or user, and don't forget to clear the trash > > folder. Then 15GB should be enough for the OS disk. > > Thank you :) > Your offered solution sounds like something I'm goona try today.. > Got it :) > Think will stick to your recommendation and not try to resize bootable > partitions, at least till I acquire sufficient knowledge + really have > to :) > I'll look into mountpoints then and how to add another partition > correctly (at the moment of writing before studying what you suggested > I'm still not sure whether the additional partition should be > formatted as "primary" or "extended" partition.. my guess it can be > primary.. but as I wrote, will read more before writing any further > guesses which may be wrong..) > > > > > > Have found some really great tutorials out there and followed a > > > procedure using GParted Live CD in order to copy the existing > > > partition into a bigger one. > > > I never did so, moving bootable systems looks quite complicated to me :-( > > > > Anyway, when I try to copy only the primary partition and resizing it > > > to the new bigger HD it works fine..but when I try to boot with the > > > new image as a primary master (after removing the smaller old vdi > > > file) - I get a blank black screen with a white static underscore at > > > the top > > > left (there's a better name to it I think.. just can't recall it > > > now..). > > > That's why I ... ;-) > > > > I simoltaneously installed a fresh Ubuntu 10.04 LTS on my VB (with > > > 100GB *grin*) thinking I should be doing the whole configuration and > > > stuff by myself now.. > > > Consider to use multiple disks or partitions the next time, for e.g. > > /usr, /tmp and /home/yourname - have a look at the suggested mountpoints > > in GParted. Extending such additional partitions should be easy, later, > > because they do not affect booting from your dedicated OS drive. > > > DoDi > > Thanks again :) > > tino sorry (blush).. did a bit of a mess here with my replies and quoted text.. anyway, want to make sure I say this - @ DoDi - thank you for your comments and suggestions. best, tino |