# How can I change the FreeBSD partition number?



## pkubaj (Sep 4, 2010)

My partition set-up was that:
1. NTFS (Windows)
2. NTFS (Windows)
3. UFS (FreBSD)

I created a new partition out of a 2nd one, so now it's like that:
1. NTFS (Windows)
2. NTFS (Windows)
3. NTFS (Windows)
4. UFS (FreeBSD)
But unfortunately instead of naming the new partition as the 4th and leaving UFS one as 3rd, Gparted named the new one as 3rd and bumped the UFS partition number to four. FreeBSD is ok, I can boot it by giving a new partition number, but I have to do it at every boot and it only boots / (no other partitions). How can I change the numbers, or swap these two partitions, so that FreeBSD is again 3rd?


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## wblock@ (Sep 4, 2010)

pkubaj said:
			
		

> My partition set-up was that:
> 1. NTFS (Windows)
> 2. NTFS (Windows)
> 3. UFS (FreBSD)
> ...



It's numbered by position, so that's correct.



> FreeBSD is ok, I can boot it by giving a new partition number, but I have to do it at every boot and it only boots / (no other partitions). How can I change the numbers, or swap these two partitions, so that FreeBSD is again 3rd?



Edit /etc/fstab.  Or use glabel(8) and tunefs(8) to label your partitions so it doesn't matter: http://www.wonkity.com/~wblock/docs/html/ahci.html (Ignore the AHCI part.)


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## pkubaj (Sep 4, 2010)

I tried to modify fstab, however, I found that there is text editor on /. I've mounted /usr and tried to launch vi, but since /usr is mounted only in read-only mode, I can't. As for tunefs, it doesn't keep the settings for the next boot. But is there any way to set the mountpoints from installation CD?  I've found in the Configure section mountpoints editor, but it also can't write it.


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## Beastie (Sep 4, 2010)

The problem is / being read-only, not /usr, since /etc/fstab is on the former not the latter.
`# mount -u /`


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## pkubaj (Sep 4, 2010)

Thanks, that did it. Although would you mind to explain why vi didn't even start without editing anything even though it's in /usr/bin? /usr is another partition, which shouldn't be influenced by /.


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## SirDice (Sep 6, 2010)

pkubaj said:
			
		

> Thanks, that did it. Although would you mind to explain why vi didn't even start without editing anything even though it's in /usr/bin? /usr is another partition, which shouldn't be influenced by /.


Because it needs a bit more.

Standard way to get going after single user mode:

```
fsck -y
mount -u /
mount -a -t ufs
swapon -a
```


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