# FreeNAS partition



## evarie (Oct 28, 2011)

FreeNAS is a great package. But the partitions are four partitions with ZFS filesystem. The problem is, there is no room for a 5th partition. So I need to change a ZFS partition in a extended and logical partitions.

I did not find a solution. So, my question is, does somebody know software to partition and know how to change a zfs partition into an extended partition with zfs?

It is a crazy way how FreeNAS installed partitions. It is a link to sell hardware.

Thanks


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## DutchDaemon (Oct 28, 2011)

FreeNAS is not a "package", it is a greatly modified version of FreeBSD with its own developers, architecture, installation, and forum: Topics about PC-BSD | *FreeNAS* | DesktopBSD | m0N0WALL | pfSense | Debian GNU/kFreeBSD


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## evarie (Oct 29, 2011)

The start of this topic is about FreeNAS, but it can also help for FreeBSD. I understand what you mean. But I only want to know how to change a partition with ZFS? Okay, FreeNAS is an operating system. But this question is about ZFS for all operating systems which can run on ZFS. 

My first question is changed; How to change a ZFS partition in an extended logical partition?
My second question is: Is ZFS only for unix, or is there a purpose tho run linux on zfs?


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## Beeblebrox (Oct 31, 2011)

1. Not understood exactly - do you want to delete the partition, re-size it, or what? You cannot shrink it, but you can grow it.  If you want to completely start over with a fresh install, download gparted live and go from there.  If you are looking to re-arrange an existing system, that's harder and you can destroy your data easily.  Maybe backup your data and start over?  Also, if you don't have windows on your system, why use ms-dos partition table? Use gpt partition!  In any case you should read the man pages for gpart() zpool() and zfs()

2. Linux can also run zfs; Ubuntu for example:
https://launchpad.net/~dajhorn/+archive/zfs
He also has grub for zfs, but depending on the version it does not always workout. So you may have trouble with a linux root on zfs - better to place linux's root on ext4 for now.  A shared partition between FreeBSD + linux works fine though, with the exception of having to import the pool each time you boot the other system.

```
# zpool import -f poolname
```


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## SirDice (Oct 31, 2011)

evarie said:
			
		

> My first question is changed; How to change a ZFS partition in an extended logical partition?


Backup data, remove partitions, re-partition, restore data.


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## phoenix (Nov 1, 2011)

Long-term solution:  don't use MBR-style partitioning; use GPT.  Then you are "limited" to 128 partitions, instead of the hokey "4 primary partitions" MBR scheme.  And that works for every OS that supports GPT partitioning, regardless of what filesystem you use.


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## wblock@ (Nov 1, 2011)

phoenix said:
			
		

> Long-term solution:  don't use MBR-style partitioning; use GPT.  Then you are "limited" to 256 partitions, instead of the hokey "4 primary partitions" MBR scheme.  And that works for every OS that supports GPT partitioning, regardless of what filesystem you use.



GPT has a variable number of partitions.  The standard implementation gives 128 partitions, which still should be more than enough.


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