UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users

I want to resize my filesystem partitions. Reason is that I have 11GB of disk space unused by Unix which divvy reveals. Is there a way I could resize my filesystems without doing a reinstallation. The secondary problem is that the boot image is too large for a diskette (5MB).

I'm running SCO Openserver 5.0.6, RAID 5

I'll appreciate your assistance. Thanks
Sola

First of all, if you are talking about /var, /, /usr, /tmp, /opt, or any other primary UNIX filesystem you will have to do your work from single user mode. Unless you have a product like Vertas Volume manager and Filesystem manager that will allow you to do changes online.

Second, If you are trying to reduce these filesystems, you will need to make a backup copy first just for safety's sake.

If you go to single user and reduce your filesystems. Make sure that the disk(s) you are removing have NO DATA on them. query your disks to see if they do or not.

If your disks have data on them that you want to remove. Make a backup copy and then reduce the filesystem then restore.

Of course if you have a product like Veritas, you can do this online for all except the root filesystem, I believe.

Thnaks for the interest. I have only 3 fs. root, swap and user. Root is 93% full meanwhile I have 11GB of disk space not utilised by unix or any other OS. I want to simply increase the root fs and users to use the 11GB space.
Increase root with 2GB more and users with the remaining space.

Thanks.

That makes it easier.

But still go to single user for root and usr. Unless you have some online software that makes it easier.

You may want to see about separating /var from root and /tmp as well. Also, make a /home mount point for all user data and home directories.

These directories tend to fill up unexpectedly and can bring your system to its knees.

Your system should look like this. All with separate mounted Filesystems.

root swap and separate system swap as well.
/
/usr
/var
/tmp
/home


A good rule of thumb is to have root on a separate partition by itself. Also, to have root swap and secondary swap as well.

Of course, these are only suggestions, but good ones...

Is this your personal unix box or for work?

Hi,
It's a work server. I'll try the suggestion.

Thanks
Sola

Okay... let me say this... Unless you are using a third party application such as Veritas on your SCO box.. you cannot just simply use divvy and change the size of your filesystems. I would look at creating a new filesystem on the additional unused disk space you have. The only other solution that I know of would be to re-install your O/S and then restore from tape your user files.

Of course.. this goes without saying.. but I'll say it... you might want to make SURE you have reliable backup data.. Not only data written to a tape.. but that the tape drive can actually read the tape.

Jammer

I did make very clear that sshokunbi should be very careful and only do the more advanced work I suggested only if Veritas or some 3rd party software was available.

To only extend the existing filesytems (he/she) should only need to go to single user mode to perform that work with whatever proprietary commands at their disposal.

Thanks for re-iterating a very good and crucial bit of info!