# The `parted` command

The `parted` command is used to manage hard disk partitions on Linux. It can be used to add, delete, shrink and extend disk partitions along with the file systems located on them.
You will need root access to the system to run `parted` commands.

**NOTE:** Parted writes the changes immediately to your disk, be careful when you are modifying the disk partitions.
### Examples:

1. Displays partition layout of all block devices:
```
sudo parted -l
```

2. Display partition table of a specific `disk`
```
sudo parted disk print
```

Examples of `disk` are /dev/sda, /dev/sdb

3. Create a new disk label of `label-type` for a specific disk
```
sudo parted mklabel disk label-type
```
  
`label-type` can take values "aix", "amiga", "bsd", "dvh", "gpt", "loop", "mac", "msdos", "pc98", or "sun" <br />

4. Create a new partition in a specific `disk` of type `part-time`, file system is `fs-type` and of size `size` Mb.
```
sudo parted disk mkpart part-time fs-type 1 size
```
  
`part-time` can take values "primary", "logical", "extended".<br />
`fs-type` is optional. It can take values "btrfs", "ext2", "ext3", "ext4", "fat16", "fat32", "hfs", "hfs+", "linux-swap", "ntfs", "reiserfs", "udf", or "xfs"<br />
`size` has to less than the total size of the specified disk. To create a partition of size 50Mb, <size> will take the value of 50
  
5. `parted` can also be run in an interactive format. Operations to manage the disk partitions can be performed by entering appropriate commands in the interactive session. 
  `help` command in the interactive session shows a list of all possible disk management operations which can be performed.
```
  $ sudo parted
  GNU Parted 3.3
  Using /dev/sda
  Welcome to GNU Parted! Type 'help' to view a list of commands.
  (parted) print  # prints the partition table of the default selected disk - /dev/sda                                                  
  Model: ATA VBOX HARDDISK (scsi)
  Disk /dev/sda: 53.7GB
  Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
  Partition Table: msdos
  Disk Flags: 

  Number  Start   End     Size    Type     File system  Flags
   1      1049kB  53.7GB  53.7GB  primary  ext4         boot

  (parted) select /dev/sdb  # change the current disk on which operations have to be performed                                                
  Using /dev/sdb
  (parted) quit  # exit the interactive session
```

### Syntax Forms:
```
parted [options] [device [command [options...]...]]
```
  
### Options:
|**Short Flag**   |**Long Flag**   |**Description**   |
|:---|:---|:---|
|-h|--help|displays a help message listing all possible `commands [options]`|
|-l|--list|lists partition layout on all block devices|
|-m|--machine|displays machine parseable output|
|-v|--version|displays the version|
|-a|--align|set alignment type for newly created partition. It can take the following values:<br /> `none`: Use the minimum alignment allowed by the disk type<br /> `cylinder`: Align partitions to cylinders<br /> `minimal`: Use minimum alignment as given by the disk topology information<br /> `optimal`: Use optimum alignment as given by the disk topology information|