1 Topic by arrow.jianqing

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Topic: Gparted GUI disappears

Hi,

I used GParted to resize a partition. When it is operating on the hard drive, the gnome GUI disappeared. I check gparted process using "ps -e", it seems it still exists and the hard drive is very busy. I tried to open gparted again, If I use menu from the fedora, it always shows "device scanning". I had to close the newly-opened GUI. The hard drive is still working. A couple minutes later, the hard drive stopped working, but the GUI was still invisible. I tried to launch gparted in command prompt line, it showed:

error: libhal_acquire_global_interface_lock: org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.InterfaceAlreadyLocked: The interface org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.Storage is already exclusively locked either by someone else or it's already locked by yourself

I check gparted process using "ps -e" once again, it shows it is still there. What should I do? Kill the running gparted process (since the hard drive is not busy any more, I suppose the partition resize has finished", or reboot?

Thanks!!

2 Reply by class413

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Re: Gparted GUI disappears

Which is the version you run? I guess it is an installed version. Often, various Linux distros contain very old Gparted versions (ubuntu comes with 0.2.5, veeeeeery old and buggy).

You could try the Gparted LiveCD instead. The late versions are newer from the latest installed version. It has its own gui and filesystem, it doesn't interfere to any  other gui, and you can work on any partition of the computer (installed versions can't work on the running partitions).

*** It is highly recommended to backup any important files before doing resize/move operations. ***

3 Reply by snoopy

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Re: Gparted GUI disappears

Hi class413, and everybody else of course,
I get the same message like arrow.Jianqing, but in other circumstances:
The message is:
error: libhal_acquire_global_interface_lock: org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.InterfaceAlreadyLocked: The interface org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.Storage is already exclusively locked either by someone else or it's already locked by yourself
I get this message when I try to enlarge my System Partition C (NTFS). I use Gparted Version 0.3.9.4, booting from the LiveCD.
Rezising another partition (D) worked.
Before I came to Gparted, I failed rezising "C" with the Paragon Partiton Manager, another Partition tool.
Thanks a lot for thinking about an idea!

Regards  snoopy

4 Reply by gedakc

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Re: Gparted GUI disappears

Once cause for this message would be that you have another partition manager already running (e.g., GParted is already running and you tried to start a second instance.)

5 Reply by snoopy

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Re: Gparted GUI disappears

thank you for answering, gedakc.
There is no other partiton tool running, and no other partition tool installed on C.
Windows 2000 installed.
Cheers snoopy

6 Reply by gedakc

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Re: Gparted GUI disappears

Hmm... that's odd that you are receiving that error message with only one partition manager running.

What are the steps that you perform starting from when you insert the GParted LiveCD and boot your computer?

7 Reply by snoopy (edited by snoopy 2008-11-17 00:09:25)

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Re: Gparted GUI disappears

Hi,

gedakc wrote:

What are the steps that you perform starting from when you insert the GParted LiveCD and boot your computer?

The Live-CD doesn't start automatically. When the PC boots, I press F11, and Live-CD starts.

Next Window, after teh system has run for a while with numerous lines:
GParted live (Default Settings) is offered, and I'm asked to choose other Settings below using the Tab-button. That button doesn't respond though, and after a countdown of about 20 seconds the default-setting is accepted & starts.

Next question I'm asked: I have the choise of 4 different keymap-basic adjustments. I used to choose "don't touch keymap". The last time I chose "Select keymap from full list", which is recommended for usb-keyboards. There I chose the PC/quertz/German/R.(?)./Programmer. With that adjustment my German keyboard worked according to the signs on the buttons. Unfortunately German keyboards seem not to hav a button to creat a upright bar wihich is necessary to copy a failure-report to a usb-stick. Earlier efforts to save a failure-report on usb failed as well - larry tips offered on gparted.sourceforge.net didn't work.

His tips there how to create a screenshot (of my hd) didn't work either. Finished with the sreenshot I am told that the screenshot "gparted.jpeg is located in /root/gparted.jpeg". But I don't know where that file is. Maybe in the downloaded .iso-file of gparted-live 0.3.9.-4? If yes, With what program can I open that file?

Since I don't have a screenshot of my hd to offer, here a decription of the aktual hd, maybe that helps (from left to right): 20 GB unallocated (highligted grey). Then "C" comes: /dev/hdal/, 14,96GB.
Then a extended part of the hd, containing: unallocated 20 GB (higlighted grey), and: dev/hda5, containing my private data.
Those unallocated 20 GB on the extended part I created with GParted earlier hoping that "C" would use that space to enlarge.
The unallocated Part in front of "C" I had created with my former Paragon Partition Manager.

Last notice: that error message
"error: libhal_acquire_global_interface_lock: org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.InterfaceAlreadyLocked: The interface org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.Storage is already exclusively locked either by someone else or it's already locked by yourself"
I didn't get with the export-funktion with GParted (since that doesn't work like mentioned above). It was shown after I had left GParted after a my first failed effort to enlarge "c".

Thank you alle for caring about my issues smile. snoopy

8 Reply by gedakc

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Re: Gparted GUI disappears

snoopy wrote:

...
His tips there how to create a screenshot (of my hd) didn't work either. Finished with the sreenshot I am told that the screenshot "gparted.jpeg is located in /root/gparted.jpeg". But I don't know where that file is. Maybe in the downloaded .iso-file of gparted-live 0.3.9.-4? If yes, With what program can I open that file?
...

While the LiveCD is running, much of the file system exists in RAM only.  Hence if you open a terminal while running the Live CD, you should be able to see the /root/gparted.jpeg file.  Because this is in RAM only, you will need to copy the file to some other media, such as a usb stick.

The instructions Larry wrote are a bit out of date, but the basic concepts still apply (e.g., mount the external media read/write, copy the /root/gparted.jpeg file to the media, then unmount the external media).

Would you be able to try capturing the screen shot again?

With regards to the error message, it would appear that somehow an attempt was made to start a second instance of GParted.  Since you already have GParted running, you can ignore this error message for now because it should not be the reason for the difficulty resizing the C: drive.

9 Reply by snoopy (edited by snoopy 2008-11-17 00:08:01)

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Re: Gparted GUI disappears

gedakc wrote:

While the LiveCD is running, much of the file system exists in RAM only.  Hence if you open a terminal while running the Live CD, you should be able to see the /root/gparted.jpeg file.  Because this is in RAM only, you will need to copy the file to some other media, such as a usb stick.

... yes I see a little image of the sreenshot after having followed Larry instructions. But as I wrote above:
"I don't know where that file is. Maybe in the downloaded .iso-file of gparted-live 0.3.9.-4? If yes, With what program can I open that file?"

gedakc wrote:

The instructions Larry wrote are a bit out of date, but the basic concepts still apply (e.g., mount the external media read/write, copy the /root/gparted.jpeg file to the media, then unmount the external media).

HOW can I mount the external media (e.g. USB-stick)? I sticked it in the PC. what else can I do? I understand that copy-mission that after having it copied the screenshot on the stick I can find it on the stick (or elswhere) after having finished GParted and restarted my system again.

gedakc wrote:

Would you be able to try capturing the screen shot again?

I have tried it like described already several times, and if I try it the same way again, I won't have a differenet result I'm afraid. Doesn't my above description of my hd give the information you expect from the screenshot?

gedakc wrote:

With regards to the error message, it would appear that somehow an attempt was made to start a second instance of GParted.  Since you already have GParted running, you can ignore this error message for now because it should not be the reason for the difficulty resizing the C: drive.

If you think that that previous message might be unimportant, I unfortunately cannot offer another message, since I failed saving the failure-report according to larrys descriptio - even before I came to the point where I'm told that the report is saved somewhere.
Have a nice rest-weekend anyway - Europe is going to bed now roll

10 Reply by cmdr (edited by cmdr 2008-11-17 14:30:05)

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Re: Gparted GUI disappears

Hello snoopy,

how to save a "GParted" screenshot ?

1. Run "GPartedLive CD"
2. Take screenshot of "GParted" window
3. Start "Terminal" (by Desktop icon)
4. Attach USB stick, wait until LED flickered.
5. Type (first parameter is a lowercase L)

    fdisk -l

6. Note device name of logical USB drive, e. g. /dev/sda1
7. Type (replace "sda1" with your USB stick's device name !) and confirm one line after the other.

    mkdir /mnt/usb
    mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/usb
    mkdir /mnt/usb/gpdebug
    cp /root/gparted.jpeg /mnt/usb/gpdebug/shot1.jpeg

8. Repeat last line as often as you need, giving the target file (shot1.jpeg) a different name,
    if you want to take more than one screenshot.
9. Unmounting is not necessary, if you shut down "GParted" afterwards (nothing stays from your session).

Good luck
cmdr

11 Reply by snoopy

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Re: Gparted GUI disappears

Dear cmdr,
Thanks for your advices & wishes. I tried them out & wasn't sucessful.
For example your 7.: I was not able to "write one line after the other", because I couldn't figure out how to simply finish on line and start another on. The "Return"-button always brings a error message, and I have to start all over again.
All together my impression is that Gparted is fine if it works right from the start. I've spent several hours on problem solving on ist, with the help of you all - thank you very much!
I quit now, and bring the PC to a "PC-doc", give him € 50.- if that's enough and save time and nerves. Bye snoppy