Topic: GParted fail displaying partitions on USB sticks with hybrid iso
This is my first post here, let me first take the occasion to thank developers and helpers to this wonderful tool -
It have helped me serveral times during the years - THANK YOU
Myself and others have found a problem i now help reporting:
__THE PROBLEM
GParted do not correctly read Live USB sticks created by dumping a hybrid iso to them:
It erroneously shows the iso9660 partition to cover the whole disk, while in reality it is often a small partition at the beginning (like the GParted live iso) so any more partitions are never shown nor can be changed etc (like Mageia live isos that have both an ESP (EFI system partition) and - if chosen - an ext4 partition for storing changes and user files.
So GParted can not be used for editing such systems partitions. (i.e on a large fast stick i want to have Mageia live and add LUKS encrypted storage, a swap, and a ntfs for sharing with MS systems)
__References: Programs i tried that DO show all partitions:
fdisk, sfdisk, KDE Partition Manager
And I also get Plasma tray popups and can mount them there.
- So I believe the problem lies solely in GParted.
GParted versions tested: 0.28.1 rpm in Mageia 6 repo, and gparted-live-1.0.0-4-amd64.iso
__EXAMPLE
Below is an experimental stick modified by KDE Partition Manager: It is a Mageia 7.1 live iso, plus an ext4 "mgalive-persist" for storing changes and user files, swap, and an ntfs for sharing files with MS-systems.
GParted:
only displays one iso9660 covering the whole stick
Parted:
list everything *except* the iso9660:
# parted /dev/sde visa
Modell: SanDisk Extreme (scsi)
Disk /dev/sde: 32,0GB
Sektorstorlek (logisk/fysisk): 512B/512B
Partitionstabell: msdos
Disk Flags:
Nummer Början Slut Storlek Typ Filsystem Flaggor
2 3027MB 3031MB 4194kB primary esp
1 3031MB 32,0GB 29,0GB extended
7 3032MB 9322MB 6289MB logical ext4
6 19,8GB 24,0GB 4194MB logical linux-swap(v1)
5 24,0GB 32,0GB 8012MB logical ntfs
fdisk -l :
gives a corresponding list to parted
cfdisk -l :
corresponding, plus shows the free space between the ext4 and swap - but also the iso9660 in the beginning of the disk is shown as free space.
KDE Partition Manager :
Like cfdisk but nicely graphical similar to GParted (showing the iso9660 as unpartitioned space)
Maybe this is a trick of hybrid isos strategy, that it is not in partition table? Just thinking. This is not my cup of tea.
It seems GParted takes a shortcut and dont check partition table if it identifies a iso9660 at beginning of disk?