USB Drive - create Ext alongside Windows partitions?

[Ydnaroo]

I've got a AX86U on Merlin 3004.388.9_2 with a 500GB NVMe SSD drive on USB. It was set up in Windows using MBR, formatted as NTFS and shared over SMB. I've created a 20GB unused area on the drive and would like to create Ext partitions to use for a swap file and have a play with Tailmon and maybe other scripts.

I've looked at the GitHub Disk formatting Wiki and cannot see any way to do this using the router, it seems to be the whole drive or nothing. Is it possible to set up an Ext partition alongside the existing partition? I am able to backup the drive and start from scratch, maybe creating the Ext partitions first if necessary. I'd like to be able to retain the ability to remove the drive from the router and access the 'NAS' partition from Windows. Can anyone help?

 

[ColinTaylor]

If you can backup the contents of the drive and format it from scratch that would be the easiest way. If you don't want to do that I could walk you through manually formatting the unused space.

To start afresh just SSH into the router and run amtm. Type fd (Format disk) and answer the questions about partitioning and formatting the drive. It should be self explanatory.

EDIT: I suggest you make the first partition NTFS if you want it to be readable in Windows PCs.

 

[Ydnaroo]

If you can backup the contents of the drive and format it from scratch that would be the easiest way. If you don't want to do that I could walk you through manually formatting the unused space.

To start afresh just SSH into the router and run amtm. Type fd (Format disk) and answer the questions about partitioning and formatting the drive. It should be self explanatory.

Thanks for the reply. I'll try the second option tomorrow and let you know how I get on. The data is already backed up and I can do without the share for a while. Thanks again.

 

[Ydnaroo]

Excellent! I've used the formatting program in amtm and achieved exactly what I want. I've created 2 small Ext4 partitions with the remainder of the drive set to NTFS. The NTFS partition has been restored from backup in windows and my shares are working as before. Will have a play with the Ext partitions later.

A couple of other questions if you don't mind.. I've selected the recommended 'Journal' option for the Ext partitions, is there any downside to that? Also, I've set up a 2GB partition for a swap file and a seperate 20GB partition for using amtm scripts, is that an sensible/acceptable way to set things up?

Thank you again for your help.

 

[ColinTaylor]

I've selected the recommended 'Journal' option for the Ext partitions, is there any downside to that?

No.

Also, I've set up a 2GB partition for a swap file and a seperate 20GB partition for using amtm scripts, is that an sensible/acceptable way to set things up?

Not really. There is no benefit to having a separate filesystem just for a swap file. You might as well create a single partition/filesystem for both. That would be a more efficient use of space whilst also giving yourself more flexibility in the future to resize swap without having to repartition the drive.

P.S. See my previous note about making NTFS the first partition. Some older versions of Windows will not see the filesystem if it isn't in the first partition on the disk.

 

[Ydnaroo]

Not really. There is no benefit to having a separate filesystem just for a swap file. You might as well create a single partition/filesystem for both. That would be a more efficient use of space whilst also giving yourself more flexibility in the future to resize swap without having to repartition the drive.

Thanks. I'll leave with a seperate partition for now as I'm not struggling for space on the drive and I've already installed things on the other Ext partition. Having done a bit of reading I'm not sure I'll need a swap file but it's nice to have. (In days of yore it used to be recommended to have a seperate partition to avoid corruption but I suppose things have moved on a bit now. )

P.S. See my previous note about making NTFS the first partition. Some older versions of Windows will not see the filesystem if it isn't in the first partition on the disk.

Missed that last night, I created the NTFS folder last as I wanted to use what was left. Doesn't seem to be a problem here as everthing is Win 11. I'll bear all above in mind for the future as no doubt I'll be reconfiguring it sometime.

Thank you very much again for your help.

 

[Ydnaroo]

Out of interest, I've just had another play with the amtm formatting function and it will not let you make the first partition anything other than Ext2/3/4. It only offers Fat32/NTFS for a second/third partition.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Out of interest, I've just had another play with the amtm formatting function and it will not let you make the first partition anything other than Ext2/3/4. It only offers Fat32/NTFS for a second/third partition.

Ah, OK. I can believe that. That function was primarily developed for people installing Entware packages and scripts. Those have to be installed in a Unix-like filesystem (e.g. ext4) so it makes sense that the first (and possibly only) partition has to be one of those. If guess you really needed NTFS on the first partition you could always reformat it manually.