linux - Ubuntu Virtual Machine does not detect partitions/volumes

07
2014-07
  • dwandernoth

    I've been trying to install a few software packages on my Ubuntu Virtual Machine when it ran out of disk space. I had only given it 20 GB so I assigned more to it.

    I've been following this guide: http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1006371

    I then got stuck on step 8:

    pvcreate /dev/sda4

    (I called the partition /dev/sda4 instead of sda3 - according to the guide, that shouldn't matter).

    The result:

    -> pvcreate /dev/sda4
Device /dev/sda4 not found (or ignored by filtering).

    I've tried both pvscan and vgscan, they both cannot find anything. However, when I use fdisk, then it will find the volumes: 

    -> fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 85.9 GB, 85899345920 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track,
10443 cylinders, total 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 Disk identifier:
0x000abcb4
   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *        2048    39845887    19921920   83  Linux
/dev/sda2        39847934    41940991     1046529    5  Extended
/dev/sda4        39845888    39847933        1023   8e  Linux LVM
/dev/sda5        39847936    41940991     1046528   82  Linux swap / Solaris

    I'm unexperienced with Linux and have no idea what I should do. Any ideas?

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  • KayKay

    when i check disk partition in ubuntu 9.04 using #fdisk -l my friend show me like this. i have 4 hard disks, but he didn't.. but only 3. Was there anything wrong? when i installed linux and maked config? (e.g> i have miss on setting disk partition matter) and when see below result, the device sda2, sda5 start same address, end too. is there anything wrong with my disk? i have seperated 4disks.. C:,D:, G:,H: please teach me when you know about this matter. thanks.

    Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xe9ffe9ff

Device     Boot     Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1       10199    81923436    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2           10200       19457    74364885    f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5           10200       19457    74364853+   7  HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdb: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xf16cf16c

Device     Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *           1       10199    81923436    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb2           10200       19457    74364885    f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sdb5           10200       19457    74364853+   7  HPFS/NTFS

    • Related Answers
  • squircle

    Maybe the fourth "mystery disc" that you were seeing was the extended partition container for the logical partition /dev/sdb5. Your disc, when formatted with an MBR partition table, can only contain four primary partitions (sdx1, sdx2, sdx3, sdx4). If you want more partitions, one of the primary partitions can be made into an extended partition, which can contain logical partitions (sdx5, sdx6, sdx7 etc.). Hopefully that explains the discrepancy.

    The reason why sdb2 and sdb5 have the same start and end is because sdb2 is the extended partition, and sdb5 (the logical partition) fills the entire extended partition's space. Hope this helps!

    (I tried to interpret your question the best I could, but I can always clarify my answer if you clarify your question!)