How to resize a root partition to increase disk space

This document (7012096) is provided subject to the disclaimer at the end of this document.

Environment

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10

Situation

Disk space is full on the root partition.
Undefined behavior occurs as a result of the root partition being full.
No logical volume manager is in use, such as LVM or EVMS.

How can I increase the disk space on my root partition?

Resolution

Backup Everything!

There are three common ways to increase disk space on the root partition or any partition for that matter.

Delete aging, rotated or unused files.
Increase the size of the root partition and resize its filesystem.
Add disks and subpartition the root filesystem.

Delete aging, rotated or unused files

Refer to TID3005720 - "Find where disk space is being used on Linux from command line"

Increase the size of the root partition and resize its filesystem

The key to this option working is the partition's ending sector number. The next sector following root's ending sector number must be free space to increase the size of the root partition. If it is not free, you have to make it free. Consider two cases, 1) root's next available sector is free and 2) root's next available sector is occupied.

Next Available Sector Free

1. Backup your system
2. Boot into rescue mode
3. Increase the size of your disk with the root partition
4. Increase the root partition size
5. Resize the root partition

Next Availalbe Sector Occupied

1. Backup your system
2. Boot into rescue mode
3. Increase the size of your disk with the root partition
4. Increase the root partition size
5. Recreate the partition after root
6. Restore the partition after root
7. Resize the root partition

Add disks and subpartition the root filesystem

1. Add a new disk to the system
2. Create a partition on the system
3. Format the newly created partition
4. Mount the new partition to a temporary mount point like /mnt
5. Select a subdirectory on a filesytem on which you need more space
6. Move all the files in that subdirectory to your temporary mount point
7. Unmount the temporary mount point
8. Mount the new partition to the subdirectory you just emptied
9. Update the /etc/fstab to with the new parition on the emptied subdirectory

Disclaimer

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