[linux-lvm] Converting LVM back to Ext2?

[linux-lvm] Converting LVM back to Ext2?

[Andrey Subbotin]

Hello all.

I've got a 200GB HD partitioned automatically during Fedora Core 4 setup. That is the disk carries 2 partitions where the first one (/dev/sda1) is ext3 mounted as /boot and the second one (/dev/sda2) is an LVM. 

That is all clear and fancy but the problem is I'm faced with the fact I need to migrate the HD to Ext2 FS, so I could convert it to FAT32 later, so I could access it from a copy of the Windows OS I happen to boot recently to do some work. The LVM on /dev/sda2 is full of data I need to save and the problem is I don't have a spare HD to temporarily copy all those 200GB to. 

If I had a spare HD I would eventually mount it, make a new Ext2 partition on it and then copy all the data from the LogicalVolume to the new partition. Then I would fire up fdisk and kill the LVM, thus freeing the space on the drive. Then, moving the data back to the first HD would be a snap. But without a spare disk I face a real challenge.

My initial idea was to reduce the FS inside the LogicalVolume (it has ~40GB free of space) and then reduce the size of the LogicalVolume and then reduce the PhysicalVolume /dev/sda2 by the freed number of cylinders. Then, I would create an ext2 partition over the freed cylinders and move some files from the LogicalVolume onto it. Then I thought I would repeat the process several times effectively migrating my data from the ever-shrinking LVM to the ever-growing plain Ext2 FS. 

The problem is I have little idea how I can shrink an LVM partition on /dev/sda2. And there seem to be very little information on this on the net.

So far, I have lvreduce'd the FS inside the LogicalVolume and the LogicalVolume itselft to 35700000 4k blocks. Now, how do I redeuce the number of cyllinders occupied by the LVM on /dev/sda?

I would really apreciate any help or ideas. 
Thanks a lot in advance.

-- 
See you,
Andrey

ICQ UIN: 114087545
Journal: http://www.livejournal.com/users/e_ploko/

Re: [linux-lvm] Converting LVM back to Ext2?

[Anil Kumar Sharma]

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U may reduce LV size and get some free space but that still will be lying on
PV and there is no pvreduce (afaik).

So, I think (I may be wrong), U are out of luck. Get your luck back, have
same temporary storage for your data to change the size or convert PV.

UC, LVM is good for multi-partitions and multi-disks, everything in
multiples. That's the playground for LVM.
When U (re)start for FC4 or FC5, have your linux space on multiple PV's.
I will suggest utilize all 4 primary  partitions,
1. boot, 2. dual boot (if required) else PV and 3.& 4 also PV's. Swap goes
in LVM.
LVM can make them look like one or as desired partitions (LV's), which U can
change as per your requirements, even for dual boot.

 Hard luck with "auto partition" - it is good for itself! smart fellow not
caring for our moods.




On 12/12/05, Andrey Subbotin <eploko@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hello all.
>
> I've got a 200GB HD partitioned automatically during Fedora Core 4 setup.
> That is the disk carries 2 partitions where the first one (/dev/sda1) is
> ext3 mounted as /boot and the second one (/dev/sda2) is an LVM.
>
> That is all clear and fancy but the problem is I'm faced with the fact I
> need to migrate the HD to Ext2 FS, so I could convert it to FAT32 later, so
> I could access it from a copy of the Windows OS I happen to boot recently to
> do some work. The LVM on /dev/sda2 is full of data I need to save and the
> problem is I don't have a spare HD to temporarily copy all those 200GB to.
>
> If I had a spare HD I would eventually mount it, make a new Ext2 partition
> on it and then copy all the data from the LogicalVolume to the new
> partition. Then I would fire up fdisk and kill the LVM, thus freeing the
> space on the drive. Then, moving the data back to the first HD would be a
> snap. But without a spare disk I face a real challenge.
>
> My initial idea was to reduce the FS inside the LogicalVolume (it has
> ~40GB free of space) and then reduce the size of the LogicalVolume and then
> reduce the PhysicalVolume /dev/sda2 by the freed number of cylinders. Then,
> I would create an ext2 partition over the freed cylinders and move some
> files from the LogicalVolume onto it. Then I thought I would repeat the
> process several times effectively migrating my data from the ever-shrinking
> LVM to the ever-growing plain Ext2 FS.
>
> The problem is I have little idea how I can shrink an LVM partition on
> /dev/sda2. And there seem to be very little information on this on the net.
>
> So far, I have lvreduce'd the FS inside the LogicalVolume and the
> LogicalVolume itselft to 35700000 4k blocks. Now, how do I redeuce the
> number of cyllinders occupied by the LVM on /dev/sda?
>
> I would really apreciate any help or ideas.
> Thanks a lot in advance.
>
> --
> See you,
> Andrey
>
> ICQ UIN: 114087545
> Journal: http://www.livejournal.com/users/e_ploko/
>
> _______________________________________________
> linux-lvm mailing list
> linux-lvm@redhat.com
> https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/linux-lvm
> read the LVM HOW-TO at http://tldp.org/HOWTO/LVM-HOWTO/
>



--
Anil Kumar Shrama

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