Master the Basics - How to Use parted to Create Partitions Format Them and Add a Mount Point

You purchased a new multi-terabyte drive for your media server and are ready to slap it into service. But hold up, before you run fdisk like it’s 1999, it’s worth knowing it is no longer the right tool for the job. If your drive is over 2TB you need to use GPT instead of MBR. fdisk cannot create GPT partitions, so parted is the way to go.

I’ll walk you through how to use parted to create partitions, format them, and set up automatic mounting using fstab.

Why Parted Over Fdisk?

fdisk only works with MBR partition tables, which limits your partition sizes to 2TB. That’s a deal-breaker for modern drives. parted, on the other hand, works with both MBR and GPT and doesn’t care how big the drive is.

It also has more robust support for scripting, alignment, and resizing. If you’re working with advanced setups or need to future-proof your system, parted is the tool to learn.

fdisk vs parted: Feature Comparison

When to Use Each Tool

• Use fdisk for straightforward partitioning tasks on disks smaller than 2TB using the MBR scheme. It’s suitable for legacy systems and simple setups.

• Use parted when dealing with disks larger than 2TB, requiring GPT partitioning, or needing advanced features like resizing partitions and scripting. It’s ideal for modern systems and complex configurations.

Setting Up Your New Drive with Parted

Here’s how to prep that new drive using parted.

Step 1: Identify the Target Disk

Run:

lsblk

Look for the disk you just installed. If it’s /dev/sdb and it’s showing no partitions, that’s the one we’ll use.

⚠️ Triple-check you’ve got the right disk before proceeding.

Step 2: Install and Launch Parted and Create a GPT Partition Table

Install parted:

sudo apt install parted

Start parted:

sudo parted /dev/sdb

Set the disk label to GPT (recommended for drives over 2TB or UEFI systems):

In the parted shell:

mklabel gpt

Step 3: Create a New Partition

Still inside parted:

mkpart primary xfs 0% 100%

You can swap out xfs for another filesystem label if you plan to use ext4 or btrfs later. Don’t worry, this step doesn’t actually format the drive, it just defines what it’s for.

Now type:

quit

Step 4: Format the New Partition

Run:

sudo mkfs.xfs /dev/sdb1

You can use ext4 if you prefer, but for media servers handling big files, XFS is fast and reliable.

Step 5: Create a Mount Point

Let’s say you’re adding a 5th disk to a mergerFS pool:

sudo mkdir -p /mnt/pool0/disk5

Step 6: Mount It for Testing

Test it out before making anything permanent:

sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/pool0/disk5

Check that it worked:

df -h

You should see /dev/sdb1 mounted at /mnt/media.

Step 7: Add It to fstab

First, grab the UUID:

sudo blkid /dev/sdb1

You’ll get something like:

UUID="abc123-xyz789" TYPE="xfs"

Copy the UUID

Edit your fstab:

sudo nano /etc/fstab

Add this line:

UUID=abc123-xyz789 /mnt/media xfs defaults 0 0

Save and exit.

Step 8: Test Your fstab Config

Unmount the drive:

sudo umount /mnt/pool0/disk5

Now reload fstab:

sudo mount -a

If you get no errors, you’re good to go.

Wrapping Up

parted isn’t just a newer tool, it’s the right one when working with modern storage. You’ve now set up your drive with a GPT table, created a partition, formatted it, and mounted it with fstab. All without hitting the 2TB wall that haunts fdisk.

Next time you drop a new drive into your rig, make parted your go-to tool. Your future self will thank you.

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