1 Topic by csanyipal

  • csanyipal
  • New member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2015-06-22
  • Posts: 5

Topic: Using Gparted through a serial console?

Hello,

can one use Gparted through a serial console connection?

I have a CABLE USB SERIAL 3.3V WIRE and I have a serial console connection through it from my Arch linux desktop system to my headless power pc box.
The power pc box doesn't have any graphics card in it.
Is it possible for me to use Gparted through this serial connection?

2 Reply by gedakc

  • gedakc
  • Developer
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2007-11-30
  • Posts: 4,592

Re: Using Gparted through a serial console?

GParted uses a graphical interface, so if you can get GNOME or some other graphical desktop environment running on your console, then GParted should also run.

3 Reply by mfleetwo

  • mfleetwo
  • Developer
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2012-05-18
  • Posts: 477

Re: Using Gparted through a serial console?

Question: Can GParted manage the drives of a remote computer (through a serial cable or network connection)?
Answer: No

However there are two ways around this:

  1. Move the disk drives to be partitioned to the computer where GParted can be run.

  2. Run GParted on the computer with the disk drives to be partitioned and display it over the network.

Option 2. is what gedakc mentioned.
This will be possible to do if the headless power pc has:

  1. A working network connection.

  2. GParted installed.

When this is working just do:

ssh root@headless-power-pc -X gparted

4 Reply by csanyipal

  • csanyipal
  • New member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2015-06-22
  • Posts: 5

Re: Using Gparted through a serial console?

mfleetwo wrote:

Question: Can GParted manage the drives of a remote computer (through a serial cable or network connection)?
Answer: No

However there are two ways around this:

  1. Move the disk drives to be partitioned to the computer where GParted can be run.

  2. Run GParted on the computer with the disk drives to be partitioned and display it over the network.

Option 2. is what gedakc mentioned.
This will be possible to do if the headless power pc has:

  1. A working network connection.

  2. GParted installed.

When this is working just do:

ssh root@headless-power-pc -X gparted

I have a serial connection to my headless power pc box ( server ). I'm busy now trying to create usb rescue system for headless server. The rescue system should include GParted. When I finished this usb rescue system, I plan to connect to headless server by using serial connection with command:

screen -h 5000 /dev/ttyUSB0 115200

and start on rescue system GParted. Can I then pass an option similar tp '-X gparted' when using screen in previous command?
In the worst case scenario I can connect to headless server through a wired network connection with ssh command abowe.

5 Reply by mfleetwo

  • mfleetwo
  • Developer
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2012-05-18
  • Posts: 477

Re: Using Gparted through a serial console?

Please note that you will need to connect through a network connection.  A serial connection is not a working network connection.

"-X" option is not a magic bullet.  It mearly makes ssh forward the graphical (X11) output of any commands being run, gparted in this case, back to the desktop from which the ssh was run.

You will need to read the manual page for the screen command to find out what options it supports as I am not familiar with a command called screen which can connect to serial devices.

6 Reply by csanyipal

  • csanyipal
  • New member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2015-06-22
  • Posts: 5

Re: Using Gparted through a serial console?

mfleetwo wrote:

Please note that you will need to connect through a network connection.  A serial connection is not a working network connection.

"-X" option is not a magic bullet.  It mearly makes ssh forward the graphical (X11) output of any commands being run, gparted in this case, back to the desktop from which the ssh was run.

You will need to read the manual page for the screen command to find out what options it supports as I am not familiar with a command called screen which can connect to serial devices.

Thank you very much for pointing me into the right direction.