GParted without LiveCD?

Is it possible to shrink a partition that is currently being used, with GParted? (Ex: Partition Magic will help you decide what will be done, and when you apply the changes it will shutdown windows to apply the changes)

I ask because I have Kubuntu currently installed, and nothing else. I wish to add Vista for dual boot. I intend to use this guide:

http://apcmag.com/5045/how_to_dual_boot_vista_with_linux

Unless anyone can say that guide will not work.
However I have not been able to boot the GParted LiveCD. So can I run GParted in Kubuntu, to create a partition for Vista, without harming Linux?

 

It depends on the filesystem and the degree of support provided by the underlying tools. These days, GPartEd can resize many, if not most, Linux filesystems. However, you can never move or resize a mounted (in use) filesystem. So you're kinda SOL on that score.

GPartEd has a little dialog describing the filesystems it supports and what it can do with them. As it happens, the dialog usually lags a little behind the underlying tools -- you may find you can do things (move, resize) the dialog says you can't.

You may care to communicate with the GPartEd developers about your inability to run GPartEd from a live CD. The live CD is basically a stripped Linux installation with just enough to let GPartEd run. They will probably ask you about what sorts of error messages appear on the console when booting.

Your other option is to boot the [KX]Ubuntu live CD and run GPartEd from there.

Schwab

 

That's an interesting idea... run GParted from the Kubuntu LiveCD.
The only question with that is: Will it screw things up? I have to download the fglrx video driver to get LiveCD to run with my graphics card. It downloads a 19MB package to the harddrive to do so. Everytime I did, Vista had to check itself and fix that. Will Kubuntu be able to fix such a thing....?

 

You might also try the GParted LiveUSB, though I doubt it will be any different. If you can't run the LiveCD, it's likely because the CD burned wrong; you usually have to burn it at a slower speed.

 

I'm not exactly sure what you're referring to here. Every time I've run Ubuntu, I use whatever's on the disc and don't download extra packages.

You might try using the vesafb driver when booting Ubuntu, which sets up a graphics frame buffer and not much else. Performance will suck, but at least you'll be able to see something without the pain of fglrx. If that fails then, depending on how desperate you are, you might be able to learn how to drive GNU parted from the console command line (which should also be on the Ubuntu live CD).

Schwab

 

Notebook_ftw:
I doubt the LiveUSB would work as well - the CD is fine, it begins the boot, it just cannot load the graphical interface. This is the error:

*X.Org : You need graphical environment to start GParted.
The graphical environment configuration should have been done automatically.
Unfortunately it did not, since you are back to the bash !
So please run Forcevideo script, and you will be asked for video driver and resolution.

I am assuming it is having the same problem the Ubuntu LiveCD has. It couldn't load the driver for my ATI x1400. I attempted the GParted software's workaround, manually choosing the driver for ATI as well as all the different screen resolutions - to no avail. Apparently no one can run my damn graphic card.


ewhac:
Like I just said in the preceding paragraph... the LiveCD cannot load the driver for my ATI x1400 GPU. The only way, as far as I have found, to get it to start X, is to download the flgrx. Had to do the same once Kubuntu was installed on the HDD before X would load.

 

Look for an option named 'vesa', 'vesafb', 'vga', or some combination thereof. What you're basically looking for is a lowest-common-denominator graphics mode that X can scribble on. If you're really hard up, X can run on a 2-color 640*480 VGA mode, which every PC on the planet after 1988 or so can display. A full Gnome desktop would probably have a fit, but GPartEd should run well enough to get your disk repartitioned.

Frankly I'm a little surprised there isn't an ncurses/console version of GPartEd, which would neatly sidestep this whole issue.

Schwab

 

ewhac, you were right. Thank you!
For some reason, I had assumed since it said "Vesa should always work" that it was the default that had already tried to load.
I tried again, chose vesa as the driver, and default resolution, and GParted loaded! Now I can load Vista for my gaming needs.

Again, thank you!

 

Update:

It worked! Everything! I highly recommend the guide that I linked, if anyone has Ubuntu installed and wishes to install Vista for a dual-boot. It worked flawlessly.

I now have both Kubuntu & Vista on my machine.
Thanks to everyone who helped!