addpart - Linux

Overview

addpart is a command-line utility used to add a new partition to a block device or hard drive. It can create partitions of various types, including primary, extended, and logical partitions.

Syntax

addpart [options] <device> [start] [end] [size]

Options/Flags

  • -t, –type: Specify the partition type (e.g., primary, extended, logical).
  • -s, –size: Set the partition size in sectors, bytes, or units (e.g., "M" for megabytes).
  • -l, –label: Assign a label to the partition.
  • -i, –id: Specify the partition ID (e.g., 83 for Linux).
  • -b, –bootable: Mark the partition as bootable.
  • -c, –check: Check for errors before committing changes.
  • -f, –force: Force the operation without prompting for confirmation.
  • -v, –verbose: Enable verbose output.
  • -h, –help: Display help information.

Examples

Create a new primary partition of 100MB on /dev/sda:

addpart -t primary /dev/sda 100M

Create a new logical partition of 5GB on /dev/mapper/myvg:

addpart -t logical /dev/mapper/myvg 5G

Create a new extended partition that spans the entire disk:

addpart -t extended /dev/sda

Common Issues

  • Incorrect partition type: Ensure the specified partition type is compatible with the file system you intend to use.
  • Overlapping partitions: Make sure the start and end sectors do not overlap with existing partitions.
  • Insufficient space: Verify that the device has enough free space to accommodate the new partition.
  • Block device is busy: Close any programs or processes accessing the block device before attempting to add a partition.

Integration

Combine with fdisk: Use fdisk to create a partition table before adding partitions with addpart.
Use with mkfs: Create a file system on the newly created partition using commands like mkfs.ext4 or mkfs.fat.
Partition scripts: Integrate addpart into scripts to automate partition creation tasks.

Related Commands

  • fdisk: Manipulate partition tables.
  • partprobe: Update partition information in the kernel.
  • parted: Partition disk drives from the command line.
  • sgdisk: Manage GPT partition tables.