How to Manage partitions in Linux - A deep dive

For Linux system administrators, knowing how to work with partitions is essential in your day-to-day job. Partitions divide your physical storage devices into separate sections, allowing you to organize data, install multiple operating systems, and allocate resources efficiently. In this beginner's guide, we will explore the fundamental concepts of partitioning and provide step-by-step instructions on listing, creating, deleting, and modifying partitions in Linux using popular command-line tools. By the end of this article, you'll have the knowledge and skills to manage your storage partitions like a super user effectively.

Understanding Partitions

Before we dive into the practical aspects of partition management, let's gain a clear understanding of what partitions are and why they are crucial in Linux.

A partition is a logical division of a physical storage device, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD). It allows you to separate the available storage space into discrete sections, each with its own file system. By using partitions, you can install multiple operating systems, manage data separately, and improve system performance by reducing disk fragmentation.

There are two primary partitioning schemes commonly used in Linux: the MBR (Master Boot Record) and the GPT (GUID Partition Table). The MBR scheme has been around for a long time and is compatible with most systems. However, the GPT scheme offers advantages such as support for larger disk sizes, more partitions, and improved data integrity.

Listing Partitions using lsblk

Before you can manage partitions, it's important to know how to list them. The lsblk command in Linux allows you to view information about block devices, including disks and their partitions.

$ lsblk

NAME   MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
sda      8:0    0  41.6G  0 disk 
├─sda1   8:1    0     1M  0 part 
└─sda2   8:2    0  41.6G  0 part /var/snap/firefox/common/host-hunspell
                                 /
sdb      8:16   0     5G  0 disk 
└─sdb1   8:17   0     5G  0 part /mnt/quotadir
sdc      8:32   0     2G  0 disk 
sdd      8:48   0     3G  0 disk 
sde      8:64   0     5G  0 disk

Listing Partitions using fdisk

This command displays a hierarchical view of your storage devices, including their partitions, mount points, and other useful details. The output provides information such as the device name (e.g., /dev/sda), partition sizes, file systems, and more.