Resizing Linux guest disk running on a Windows host.

This guest OS has a second drive which I’m expanding. To expand the guests main OS drive you would need to boot a linux live CD or use a GParted live cd.

I’ll create another post later on how to do that.

1. Shutdown the VM
2. Locate the disk’s vdi Virtualbox Manager -> Right click on the machine -> Settings -> Storage -> Controller: SATA and select the diskOn the right under “Information”, “Location” will give you the vdi’s location on your computer
   
3. Open the command prompt Start -> type “cmd” in the search box for Windows 7 or 8.
4. Take a backup of your disk
   
   Shell

   cp "E:\Virtual Machines\Fedora_storage.vdi" "E:\Virtual Machines\Fedora_storage_backup.vdi"

   1	cp "E:\Virtual Machines\Fedora_storage.vdi" "E:\Virtual Machines\Fedora_storage_backup.vdi"

5. CD to the VirtualBox program directory so that we can use the VBoxmanage command
   
   PowerShell

   cd "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\"

   1	cd "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\"

6. Resize the disk to your required size, here i’m resizing to 300GB (format is in megabytes so 300000)
   
   PowerShell

   C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox>VBoxManage modifyhd "E:\Virtual Machines\Fedora_storage.vdi" --resize 300000 0%...10%...20%...30%...40%...50%...60%...70%...80%...90%...100% C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox>

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   C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox>VBoxManage modifyhd "E:\Virtual Machines\Fedora_storage.vdi" --resize 300000 0%...10%...20%...30%...40%...50%...60%...70%...80%...90%...100% C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox>

7. Boot the virtual machine
8. Delete the partition and recreate a new partition utilising the entire disk (Include the new space)
   
   Shell

   ➜ ~ sudo fdisk -l Disk /dev/sda: 80 GiB, 85899345920 bytes, 167772160 sectors Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes Disklabel type: dos Disk identifier: 0x000baec9 Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type /dev/sda1 * 2048 1026047 1024000 500M 83 Linux /dev/sda2 1026048 167763967 166737920 79.5G 8e Linux LVM Disk /dev/sdb: 293 GiB, 314572800000 bytes, 614400000 sectors Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes Disklabel type: dos Disk identifier: 0x997fb42a Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type /dev/sdb1 2048 419430399 419428352 200G 83 Linux

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   ➜ ~ sudo fdisk -l   Disk /dev/sda: 80 GiB, 85899345920 bytes, 167772160 sectors Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes Disklabel type: dos Disk identifier: 0x000baec9   Device     Boot   Start       End   Sectors  Size Id Type /dev/sda1  *       2048   1026047   1024000  500M 83 Linux /dev/sda2       1026048 167763967 166737920 79.5G 8e Linux LVM   Disk /dev/sdb: 293 GiB, 314572800000 bytes, 614400000 sectors Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes Disklabel type: dos Disk identifier: 0x997fb42a   Device     Boot Start       End   Sectors  Size Id Type /dev/sdb1        2048 419430399 419428352  200G 83 Linux

   
   You can see the partition is 200G we need to increase that;

   To do that using fdisk we would use the following commands.

   p (print partition table to make sure this is the only partition)
   d – Delete partition
   n – New partition
   p – primary partition
   enter – Select the first sector as default
   enter – Select the last sector as default
   p – Check everything is right
   w – Write changes to disk

   See example below;
   

   Shell

   ➜ ~ sudo fdisk /dev/sdb Welcome to fdisk (util-linux 2.25.2). Changes will remain in memory only, until you decide to write them. Be careful before using the write command. Command (m for help): p Disk /dev/sdb: 293 GiB, 314572800000 bytes, 614400000 sectors Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes Disklabel type: dos Disk identifier: 0x997fb42a Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type /dev/sdb1 2048 419430399 419428352 200G 83 Linux Command (m for help): d Selected partition 1 Partition 1 has been deleted. Command (m for help): n Partition type p primary (0 primary, 0 extended, 4 free) e extended (container for logical partitions) Select (default p): p Partition number (1-4, default 1): First sector (2048-614399999, default 2048): Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G,T,P} (2048-614399999, default 614399999): Created a new partition 1 of type 'Linux' and of size 293 GiB. Command (m for help): p Disk /dev/sdb: 293 GiB, 314572800000 bytes, 614400000 sectors Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes Disklabel type: dos Disk identifier: 0x997fb42a Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type /dev/sdb1 2048 614399999 614397952 293G 83 Linux Command (m for help): w The partition table has been altered. Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table. Syncing disks.

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   ➜  ~  sudo fdisk /dev/sdb   Welcome to fdisk (util-linux 2.25.2). Changes will remain in memory only, until you decide to write them. Be careful before using the write command.     Command (m for help): p Disk /dev/sdb: 293 GiB, 314572800000 bytes, 614400000 sectors Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes Disklabel type: dos Disk identifier: 0x997fb42a   Device     Boot Start       End   Sectors  Size Id Type /dev/sdb1        2048 419430399 419428352  200G 83 Linux     Command (m for help): d Selected partition 1 Partition 1 has been deleted.   Command (m for help): n Partition type    p   primary (0 primary, 0 extended, 4 free)    e   extended (container for logical partitions) Select (default p): p Partition number (1-4, default 1): First sector (2048-614399999, default 2048): Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G,T,P} (2048-614399999, default 614399999):   Created a new partition 1 of type 'Linux' and of size 293 GiB.   Command (m for help): p Disk /dev/sdb: 293 GiB, 314572800000 bytes, 614400000 sectors Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes Disklabel type: dos Disk identifier: 0x997fb42a   Device     Boot Start       End   Sectors  Size Id Type /dev/sdb1        2048 614399999 614397952  293G 83 Linux     Command (m for help): w The partition table has been altered. Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table. Syncing disks.

   
   Using the following steps to delete recreate and then write. Note that because this is the only partition on the disk the partition as standard starts at sector 2048 so all I need to do is delete the existing and create a new parition (which will start at 2048) and extend it to the end of the drive. If there are other paritions before this one you will have to remember where the partition starts. You can get this information by typing p for print.
9. Once the partition is resized using fdisk we need to resize the file system on the partition which is easy.
   
   Shell

   ➜ ~ sudo e2fsck -f /dev/sdb1 e2fsck 1.42.12 (29-Aug-2014) Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks, and sizes Pass 2: Checking directory structure Pass 3: Checking directory connectivity Pass 4: Checking reference counts Pass 5: Checking group summary information /dev/sdb1: 173618/13107200 files (0.3% non-contiguous), 49803021/52428544 blocks ➜ ~ sudo resize2fs /dev/sdb1 resize2fs 1.42.12 (29-Aug-2014) Resizing the filesystem on /dev/sdb1 to 76799744 (4k) blocks. The filesystem on /dev/sdb1 is now 76799744 (4k) blocks long.

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   ➜  ~  sudo e2fsck -f /dev/sdb1 e2fsck 1.42.12 (29-Aug-2014) Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks, and sizes Pass 2: Checking directory structure Pass 3: Checking directory connectivity Pass 4: Checking reference counts Pass 5: Checking group summary information /dev/sdb1: 173618/13107200 files (0.3% non-contiguous), 49803021/52428544 blocks ➜  ~  sudo resize2fs /dev/sdb1 resize2fs 1.42.12 (29-Aug-2014) Resizing the filesystem on /dev/sdb1 to 76799744 (4k) blocks. The filesystem on /dev/sdb1 is now 76799744 (4k) blocks long.

   
    
10.  Done!