Using Unallocated space from Instalation Disk

[Bytales]

I have a 250 SSD i used to install proxmox. Using it the whole when installing it, creates

*)1M Bios boot
*)256M EFI System
*)232.6G Linux LVM
From this 232.6G Linux LVM, there are two disks listed with the command <fdisk -l>
/dev/mapper/pve-swap 8GiB and
/dev/mapper/pve-root 58GiB

It seems the rest of the space cannot be made into another drive. so i proceeded installing ProxMox again, this time i selected at install that the disk be 50G instead of selecting it all.

This creates a 6.1GiB Swap Partition and 12.3GiB root Partition
Looking inte the Web GUI i can see there is another Partition it seems, a 23.25 GiB
All these 3 add up to the 50GB i have selected to give ProxMox to install itself.

Now, how can i use the remainder diskspace, 200GB and make partitions out of it ?
I have looked everywhere but nothing.

Do note i am a major linux noob, and i have to look up/google up every linux comand, even it is a very simple one,, everyone would know.

So please, dont assume i know stuff, since i dont know shit, whit means if you know how to help me, you would have to type me the commands that i would have to use, Or at least point me in the direction wheer i can learn/read about it.

After trying unraid and ESXi, i decided to stick to proxmox. My end goal is to make two Windows Gaming VM with gpu passthrough, so that 2 people can play together using my single PC.

I have a 32 core Epy, 64gb ram, 2 Vega Frontier Watercooled, a 250GB and 500GB NVME SSDs and a 10TB WD Gold HDD.

First Step is figuring the Data drives.
Tried installing Ceph, but it mumbled something about deleting prox mox and it didnt install.

My goal is to split the rest of the 250 GB ssd into two 100GB partition for windows C drive, and the 500 GB SSD into two 250 GB drives for games. I think i know how to do the second part, i sawa video.

I would like if possible, to be able to use the 10TB disk, as a shared disk between the two VMs, even when the VMs are running together simultanously. I need to research how that might be done also.

Any help is much appreciated, ive been at this for the past 3 weeks now(switching forth between Unraid/ESXi/ProxMox/Unraid/ESXi/ only to return to proxmox. WHich even if its the most complicated to learn from scratch (esspecially for a linux noob, which only used windows in his life up to this point) i think it is worth the effort, as it offers the highest customization options.

 

[Alwin]

When you use the LVM (logical volume manager) for the default installation, then you already should see the LVM storage (local-lvm) on the GUI. This storage can be used to create new disks for VMs. So to use it, just create a VM with the disk(s) being on that storage, PVE (Proxmox VE) takes care of the creation of the LV (logical volume) on the LVM.

 

[Bytales]

When you use the LVM (logical volume manager) for the default installation, then you already should see the LVM storage (local-lvm) on the GUI. This storage can be used to create new disks for VMs. So to use it, just create a VM with the disk(s) being on that storage, PVE (Proxmox VE) takes care of the creation of the LV (logical volume) on the LVM.

So when first installing ProxMox and choosing the ProxMox install size, i can select the whole 250GB SSD, and afterwards in the WebGui, when creating a VM, what is being displayed locally and give it from there 80 GB say fora Windows install Partition ?

But i Need to restrict the ProxMox root/swap/ ... Folders, otherwise ProxMox makes them to big and wastes space.

There are 4 Tabs that i can Input the number of Gigabyte when installing ProxMox.
first was Root
Second was swap
third and fourth i cant remember how were they named.

I could manualy Input the sizes here. The one that can be used for VMs is that the "Data" Folder ?

I also havent found anywhere how much space i should give for ProxMox at all.

Leaving the fields blank, ProxMox makes a root of 58gb and a swap of 8GB. Isnt that a bit of Overkill wasting space ?
How much is enough ?
So that i can proper restrict the respective "Folders".
I havent found anywhere how much would be recomended. But i dont want to waste expensive NVME SSD Space.

 

[Bytales]

And if i choose a Dimension smaller than the disk size for the ProxMox to install on to, that left unollacated space, in my case 200gb, does it remain unaccesable ?

 

[Alwin]

The sizes you choose is up to your needs/wishes and can be set during installation (as you noticed). LVM is not a directory storage and usually brings better performance then file based storage. More information can be found in our documentation (see below).

Documentation about the installation: https://pve.proxmox.com/pve-docs/chapter-pve-installation.html
The PVE admin guide: https://pve.proxmox.com/pve-docs/pve-admin-guide.html

 

[Bytales]

Many thanks, ill be sure to go through the provided links.
In the first link i found:
"
hdsize

Defines the total HD size to be used. This way you can save free space on the HD for further partitioning (i.e. for an additional PV and VG on the same hard disk that can be used for LVM storage).
"

This is what i was looking for. How do i "further Partition" that free space ? There is no way i can see i can do it from the Web GUI Client. Probably it can be done only through the CLI, or ?
This is what i couldnt find info about !

 

[Alwin]

This is what i was looking for. How to i create an additional Partition or LVM or PV or VG out of that free left space ?

With the default installation (after changing the swap/root partition size) the remainder of the disk is used already for LVM (eg. local-lvm).

 

[Bytales]

I see, so there would be no reason to select a lower disk capacity. Just adjust root and swap, and im good to go. Are there any recomandation for root sizes and swap sizes ?
Like if i plant to use 2 3 VMs, 2 3 4 Containers, and only under 5 drives ? do i really Need to set the sizes that big ?Is the root Partition going to get filled with time with junk ? Or i can select a 5 Gb root and 5gb swap, and be done with it ?

Any Advantage to having a higher capacity root and swap ?

 

[Alwin]

This is all up to your liking/needs. Remember though, you will need some space on root to operate on (eg. also log files will be written).

For the start, I recommend to stick to the defaults.

 

[Bytales]

log files are just text, how big is text going to become ? i guess ill just have to see with time. Wast thinking going with 30G root and 8G swap. Should be enough for a normal use. what im trying to achieve with proxmox, is to create two indepdendent gaming machines from my single Computer. And have a bunch of hdd inserted in in. Nothing fancy. Since i failed to do it with unraid and ESXI, ist the reason im going with ProxMox; oh, and because i live in Germany. German Car, german Server Software.

Not to mention the WebGui is better built in.
PS: Do i have to take out the enterpise repository and add the free repository to be able to install Ceph ?

 

[Alwin]

For the start, I recommend to stick to the defaults.

I can only refer to my comment from above. Once you get to know how things are working, you know where to change what (optimization).

PS: Do i have to take out the enterpise repository and add the free repository to be able to install Ceph ?

The enterprise repository is accessible for subscribed users and the no-subscription or pvetest are available without. And forget Ceph, it is a distributed storage (3x server at least).

 

[Bytales]

I can only refer to my comment from above. Once you get to know how things are working, you know where to change what (optimization).


The enterprise repository is accessible for subscribed users and the no-subscription or pvetest are available without. And forget Ceph, it is a distributed storage (3x server at least).

You mean Ceph cant be installed if there is a single Host ? Lets say i have a single Server with 8x3.5" 10 TB hdd and 8x2,5" 4 TB ssd, and 4x2TB NVME SSD, besides a single 250GB SSD where proxmox is installed. I could make a pool from the NVME disk, a pool from the 2,5" SSD and a pool from the 3,5" hdd. Would it be possible in this case to use ceph if everything sits on a single Server ?

 

[dravidan]

Hi,

One way to do this would be, by using fdisk utility

1. fdisk /dev/hda.
2. Type p (it will print partition table)
3. Type n (for creating a new partition)
4. Press enter (it will take the default value)
5. Press enter (it will take last cyclinder as default value)
6. Press p (it will print the new partition table. ...
7. Press w (to save)

This will create a new partition by using the entire un allocated space after the allocated partitions. You can modify the start and end sector to control how many partitions you need along with their sizes

 

[wavewrangler]

Hi,

One way to do this would be, by using fdisk utility

1. fdisk /dev/hda.
2. Type p (it will print partition table)
3. Type n (for creating a new partition)
4. Press enter (it will take the default value)
5. Press enter (it will take last cyclinder as default value)
6. Press p (it will print the new partition table. ...
7. Press w (to save)

This will create a new partition by using the entire un allocated space after the allocated partitions. You can modify the start and end sector to control how many partitions you need along with their sizes

Thanks for taking the time to answer this question in the manner in which it was asked, I appreciate your time. Thanks again

 

[proxymax]

Hi,

One way to do this would be, by using fdisk utility

1. fdisk /dev/hda.
2. Type p (it will print partition table)
3. Type n (for creating a new partition)
4. Press enter (it will take the default value)
5. Press enter (it will take last cyclinder as default value)
6. Press p (it will print the new partition table. ...
7. Press w (to save)

This will create a new partition by using the entire un allocated space after the allocated partitions. You can modify the start and end sector to control how many partitions you need along with their sizes

Thank you, I have been looking for a way to install the rest of the unallocated space after the proxmox install to another partition.

 

[crazeeEyez]

Hi,

One way to do this would be, by using fdisk utility

1. fdisk /dev/hda.
2. Type p (it will print partition table)
3. Type n (for creating a new partition)
4. Press enter (it will take the default value)
5. Press enter (it will take last cyclinder as default value)
6. Press p (it will print the new partition table. ...
7. Press w (to save)

This will create a new partition by using the entire un allocated space after the allocated partitions. You can modify the start and end sector to control how many partitions you need along with their sizes

Thank you for this! I'm surprised the Proxmox UI doesn't give you any options, but I'm sure as hell glad someone here spent the time to educate us!