create partition and format for ext3

[mr.popper]

My partition for Linux is running out of space. I'm trying to format the free space left on my hard drive for the ext3 filesystem. I currently am using hda1 to boot, and hda5 is my swap partition. I used cfdisk to create another partition, but I couldn't find the option to format it as ext3. When I do fdisk -l, I get hda1, hda2, hda3 and hda5. Which one is the one I just created? Please help!!

mr.popper

[mr.popper]

forgot to mention that I formatted hda3 as a primary partition type, and df only displays /dev/hda1.

[U-Turn]

df only shows mounted partitions.
cfdisk only creates partitions and defines partition types. It won't create a filesystem on the partition.
ext3 file system is ext2 with journaling. To create ext3 file system on your partition, you need to enter the following at a root prompt:

mke2fs -j /dev/hda3

You'll then need to decide where you want to mount the partition and add the partition to /etc/fstab.

[mr.popper]

thanks, this works. HOwever, there is still an hda2, what would that be? It's a small partition; I didn't have this before I created another partition with cfdisk.

[sdousley]

thanks, this works. HOwever, there is still an hda2, what would that be? It's a small partition; I didn't have this before I created another partition with cfdisk.

The output of

fdisk -l

should tell you what filesystem is in hda2.

[mr.popper]

fdisk -l says that hda2 is extended. cfdisk doesn't see it. Can I get rid of hda2 and just add its space onto hda3?

[sdousley]

ok, if it's extended, u may hav hda5 or greater. If u have any hda5 or more, it's more than likely to be within hda2 if it's extended.

Could you post the output of fdisk -l maybe i can say what's going on.

[mr.popper]

root@slackware:/var/www/htdocs# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 20.0 GB, 20000000000 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2431 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 1094 8787523+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda2 1095 1187 747022+ 5 Extended
/dev/hda3 1188 2431 9992430 83 Linux
/dev/hda5 1095 1187 746991 82 Linux swap

[puntmuts]

root@slackware:/var/www/htdocs# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 20.0 GB, 20000000000 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2431 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *           1        1094     8787523+  83  Linux
/dev/hda2            1095        1187      747022+   5  Extended
/dev/hda3            1188        2431     9992430   83  Linux
/dev/hda5            1095        1187      746991   82  Linux swap

Look at the id and the start and the end of hda2 and compare it with hda5. You'll see they are the same except for the id. hda2 is the partition holding your extended partitions and shouldn't and can't be accessed directly. It could have multiple partitions as well.

[mr.popper]

thanks so much