Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

nubc · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 739 Location: USA

A long while ago, I set up a Linux box with two partitions and swap. For some reason the swap partition is embedded inside an extended partition of the same approximate size. That extended partition is labeled sda2, and the swap partition is labeled sda5. The second partition is not really a formal partition, just blank space covering the last half of the 80 GB hard drive. When I run Wary 5.2 as live CD with the pfix=ram boot option, GParted shows both the swap partition and the extended container partition to be locked. So then, what are my options? I would rather not have to wipe (zero) this drive because the only quick wipe is from floppy, and this computer does not have a floppy drive. So then I am guessing that I must delete this partition from command line. I did a little research and came up with the following procedure using the fdisk command.

http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/linux-how-to-delete-a-partition-with-fdisk-command/

Any other suggestions on how to proceed?

Lookinglass360 · Joined: 22 May 2009 Posts: 79 Location: Largo, Florida USA

Hi nubc

This has worked for me,then delete.

Good luck!

rhadon · Joined: 27 Mar 2008 Posts: 1228 Location: Germany

Also from terminal you can use swapoff -a.

Your save file has nothing to do with swap, so pfix=ram is useless in this case.

HTH
Rolf

nubc · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 739 Location: USA

In my version of GParted, swapoff was not available from the 'Partition' menu. Instead, one had to right click the partition itself, as listed under the graphic representation of the drive. I deleted the embedded swap partition first (sda5), and then the extended container partition (sda2).

Thanks for the tips.

nooby · Joined: 29 Jun 2008 Posts: 9389 Location: SwedenEurope

Thanks for the thread. I wanted to know these things too.

Monsie · Joined: 01 Dec 2011 Posts: 464 Location: Kamloops BC Canada

For the record and just to clarify:

If you run Gparted within Wary, select the swap partition first, then click on "Partition" in Gparted and you will find that the "swapoff" feature will show up in the menu. If you do not select the swap partition first, then "swapoff" will not show up in the menu... tested and confirmed on my Wary desktop.

Monsie