Merging Linux Partitions w/out losing data?

[orty]

OK, first off, I'm a slight linux newbie, and have never compiled a program outside of my 100-level C++ class in college .

So here's my question: I screwed up when I did my paritioning scheme when I installed Mandrake 8.2. I have 3 partitions: one for swap, one for /usr, and one for /. My usr is far too big (LOTS of free space), and I've run out of space on /. I'd like to be able to merge my /usr and / partitions so that they share free disk space. I'd really not like to have to reformat and lose my data and configs, if at all possible. I (at one point) thought I saw a tool for debian that did this (I think it just made the system think that it was all one partition, it really didn't do anything other than that), but wondered if anybody has done such a thing or knows of any tools to do this on Mandrake...ideas?

I have Partition Magic 7 in Windows2k, but I'm pretty sure that would hose the linux stuff if I tried doing the merging in there.

Ideas?

Thanks in advance!
-orty

 

[Nothinman]

AFAIK there's no tool to do it for you, it's possible to do but wouldn't be very easy for a new Linux user.

Copy all the files from your home directory to save your configs, and make /home a seperate partition next time, not /usr =)

 

[marat]

You don't have to loose anything. You can

1. move files from /usr to /usr/usr
2. move all files from / to /usr
3. move all files from /boot to /
4. mount / as /boot and /usr as /(edit yout /etc/fstab)

The disadvatage is that you gonna end up with HUGE /boot partition.
Note: you might wanna boot from floppy

 

[orty]

<< You don't have to loose anything. You can

1. move files from /usr to /usr/usr
2. move all files from / to /usr
3. move all files from /boot to /
4. mount / as /boot and /usr as /(edit yout /etc/fstab)

The disadvatage is that you gonna end up with HUGE /boot partition.
Note: you might wanna boot from floppy >>



OK, that method sounds really nasty...I'll just format/reinstall once I get my data moved off the system.