GParted (Gnome Partition Editor) is a powerful and versatile tool for managing partitions on Linux Mint. It assists users in creating, resizing, moving, copying, deleting, formatting, labeling, and checking partitions on the system hard drive. GParted can help to achieve their goals, whether users want to install a new operating system, optimize their disk space, or back up their data.

This tutorial will explain different methods to install GParted on Linux Mint. In addition, it provides some tips and tricks to optimize disk performance and avoid data loss.

• How to Install GParted on Linux Mint?
• How to Use/Manage GParted on Linux Mint?

How to Install GParted on Linux Mint?

GParted is a GUI-based tool that can help you manage your disk partitions on Linux Mint. To install GParted on Linux Mint, use the APT package manager, PPA repository, Software Manager, and Synaptic Package Manager. Let’s explore them one by one.

• Method 1: Install GParted on Linux Mint Using APT (Package Manager)
• Method 2: Install GParted on Linux Mint Using the PPA Repository
• Method 3: Install GParted on Linux Mint Using Software Manager
• Method 4: Install GParted on Linux Mint Using Synaptic Package Manager

Method 1: Install GParted on Linux Mint Using APT (Package Manager)

The easiest and most recommended way to install GParted on Linux Mint is to use the official repositories APT (Package Manager) of your distribution. It ensures the stable version of GParted and fixes bugs or security updates.

To install GParted from the APT Package Manager on Debian-based systems (Ubuntu/Linux Mint), follow the step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Update System Package

Before installing any package (such as “gparted”), the users must update the system package list. To update the system package lists (default repository), execute the below command:

sudo apt update

It makes sure to resolve any repository error during the installation process.

Step 2: Install GParted

To install the GParted tool on Linux Mint, use the “gparted” package with the “install” utility along with the “sudo” privileges:

sudo apt install gparted

It requires the user login password when prompted, then, press “Y” to confirm the installation. Wait for the installation of the “GParted” tool.

Step 3: Launch GParted

Now, users can launch the “GParted” tool/editor from the menu or by typing “gparted” in the terminal with the “sudo” command:

sudo gparted

It launches the GParted “1.3.1” version (stable version) and displays a window with a list of system disks and partitions. Now, users can select a disk (currently “/dev/sda”) from the drop-down menu at the top right corner and perform different tasks.

Optional: Remove GParted Using APT (Package Manager)

To remove the GParted tool from the Linux Mint, use the “autoremove” utility with the “gparted” package name along with the “apt” command:

sudo apt remove gparted # Remove GParted Tool on Linux Mint

sudo apt purge gparted # Remove GParted Tool on Linux Mint (Dependencies)
sudo apt autoremove gparted # Remove GParted on Linux Mint (Completely)

It completely removes the GParted tool from Linux Mint along with all dependencies and temporary files.

Method 2: Install GParted on Linux Mint Using the PPA Repository

Another interesting method to install GParted on Linux Mint is to utilize PPA. It is a third-party repository that provides packages that are not available in the (APT) official repositories, or that offer newer versions of existing packages.

One such PPA provides the latest development version of GParted for Ubuntu and its derivatives, including Linux Mint. To install GParted from PPA on Linux Mint, use the “xtradeb/apps” repository by following these steps:

Step 1: Add GParted PPA Repository

Open a terminal window and add the GParted PPA repository by specifying the repository name as “xtradeb/apps” to the Linux Mint:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xtradeb/apps -y

It adds the above-mentioned repository to the system along with GPG keys.

After adding the repository, the user needs to update the system package lists with the conventional “update” utility with the “sudo” privileges:

sudo apt update

It updates the system package on the system.

Step 2: Install GParted (Latest Package)

Now, install the latest “gparted” package from the PPA repository along with all dependencies. To do so, specify the package name “gparted” with the “install” utility. It extracts the package from the PPA repository:

sudo apt install gparted

Wait for the installation of GParted to complete and then close the terminal window.

Step 3: Launch GParted

Finally, launch the GParted tool from the menu or by typing “gparted” in the terminal with the “sudo” privileges:

sudo gparted

It confirms that “GParted 1.5.0” has been installed as well launched in the Linux Mint system.

Optional: Uninstall/Remove GParted Using PPA Repository

If users want to remove the GParted PPA repository from the system, use the “remove” option by specifying the repository name “xtradeb/apps” in the terminal:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:xtradeb/apps

After that, follow the same uninstallation command that is used in Method 1.

Method 3: Install GParted on Linux Mint Using Software Manager

To install GParted on Linux Mint using Software Manager, search “GParted” in the Manager search box and hit the “Install” button to install Gnome Partition Editor. Let’s follow the below steps:

Step 1: Open Software Manager

First, open the “Software Manager” from the menu or by pressing the Super key and typing “software manager” in the search bar:

Step 2: Search and Install GParted

After opening the “Software Manager” interface, type “gparted” in the search box, and press Enter. Now, select the GParted package from the list of results and click the “Install” button:

Now, wait for the installation to be completed.

Step 3: Launch GParted

To launch the GParted, go to the menu and type “GParted” or hit the “Launch” button in the “Software Manager” tool:

Note: You may need to grant root privileges to GParted by entering the root password and hitting the “Authenticate” button.

Step 4: Verification

Finally, users can utilize GParted to manage their disk partitions. Be careful not to delete or modify any partitions that contain important data or system files:

That is all from the installation of GParted from Software Manager on Linux Mint.

Optional: Uninstall/Remove GParted Using Software Manager

To uninstall the GParted on Linux Mint from the “Software Manager”, hit the “Remove” button on the “Software Manager” interface as below:

In this way, users can install as well as uninstall GParted on Linux Mint.

Method 4: Install GParted on Linux Mint Using Synaptic Package Manager

GParted is a graphical tool for managing disk partitions and resizing them. To install GParted on Linux Mint using Synaptic Package Manager, type “gparted” in the search box, mark the packages, and click the “Apply” button. Let’s explore the below steps:

Step 1: Open Synaptic Package Manager

First of all, access the Synaptic Package Manager from the menu or by typing “sudo synaptic” in a terminal:

Step 2: Install GParted Package

In the search box of the “Synaptic Package Manager” interface, type “gparted” and press Enter. Then, mark the package “gparted” for installation by clicking on the checkbox. Finally, click on the “Apply” button to start the installation process:

It pops up a “Summary” window for confirmation of changes. Hit the “Apply” button highlighted below:

Wait for the installation to complete and close Synaptic Package Manager.

Step 3: Launch GParted

Users can now launch GParted from the menu or by typing “sudo gparted” in a terminal:

Enter the user login password when prompted. It confirms the changes in the “Authenticate” interface:

Step 4: Verify GParted

Now, the user can confirm the GParted tool on Linux Mint using the “Synaptic Package Manager”:

Note: You may need to unmount any partitions that you want to resize or modify before using GParted. Also, make sure to back up the data before any changes to the working system.

Optional: Uninstall/Remove GParted Using Synaptic Package Manager

To uninstall/remove the GParted from the “Synaptic Package Manager” choose the “Mark for Complete Removal” option and hit the “Apply” button:

To confirm the changes in the “Summary” window, hit the “Apply” button:

Note: You can also use GParted to create a bootable USB drive or a live CD/DVD.

How to Use/Manage GParted on Linux Mint?

GParted scans the hard drive and shows the current partition layout. Furthermore, users can also see the size, file system, label, and status of each partition. Users can also select a different device from the drop-down menu at the top right corner.

To use/manage GParted on Linux Mint, launch GParted from the menu or by typing “sudo gparted” in the terminal. The main window of GParted shows the list of devices and partitions on the system:

Select a device from the drop-down menu at the top right corner.

To perform/manage any operation on a partition/disk, select it first by clicking on it. Then, choose an action from the toolbar or the right-click menu to access the available options. Let’s create, resize, move, copy, and delete partitions without losing data by following the below instructions:

1. Create a New Partition

To create a new partition using GParted, select the disk that the user wants to partition from the drop-down list at the top right corner of the window. After that, right-click on an unallocated space on the disk and choose the “New” option:

This allows users to create a new partition in an unallocated space.

Now, specify the size, file system, label, alignment of the new partition, and other options for the new partition and click the “Add” button:

After that, hit the “green check mark” icon to apply the changes and wait for the process to complete. You can now mount and use the new partition as you wish.

2. Resize/Move Existing Partition

To resize a partition, choose the “Resize/Move” option in the dropdown list. You can also drag the edges of the partition or enter the values manually:

This allows users to change the size and position of an existing partition.

A dialog box appears where users can drag the edges of the partition to adjust its size. Users can also enter the exact values in the fields below and hit the “Resize” button:

Now, click the “Apply” button to confirm the changes. It presents that the partition has a pending operation icon next to it:

Finally, close GParted and reboot your system if necessary:

To apply the changes, click on the “green check mark” button at the top of the window. Users can close the window by pressing the “Close” button.

3. Copy Existing Partition

To copy the partition to the new location on the same or a different disk, use the “Copy” utility. To do so, choose the disk that contains the partition via the list. Then, press the right-click on the specific partition and choose the “Copy” option:

Now, pick the disk to copy the partition from the list and pick the “Paste” option by pressing the right-click on an unallocated space. Finally, click on the green check mark button to apply the changes:

This option allows users to paste a copied partition to an unallocated space.

Important Note: Users must have free space on the destination disk before copying a partition. Also, be careful not to overwrite any existing partitions that you may need.

4. Delete Existing Partition

To delete an existing partition using GParted on Linux Mint, select the disk that contains the partition from the drop-down list at the top right corner. Then, choose the “Delete” option by pressing the right-click on the specific partition:

Click on the “green check mark” button to apply the changes. This allows you to delete an existing partition and release the memory.

Important Warning: Deleting a partition will erase all the data on it and may affect the bootability of your system. Make sure you have a backup of your important files and a bootable USB or DVD in case something goes wrong.

5. Format Existing Partition

Select the disk containing the partition to format an existing partition using GParted on Linux Mint. After that, pick the “Format to” option by pressing the right-click on the particular partition. Furthermore, choose the file system type that users want to use, such as ext4, NTFS, FAT32, etc.:

Click on the “green check” mark to apply the changes and finally, close GParted.

Warning: Formatting a partition will erase all the data on it.

6. Label Existing Partition

To change the name of an existing partition using GParted on Linux Mint, select the partition and rename it from the list of devices. For this, right-click on the specific partition and choose “Label File System” from the context menu:

This option allows users to change the name of an existing partition. It helps users identify as well as organize their partitions better.

Now, enter the new name for the partition and click the “OK” button:

Finally, close GParted and reboot the system to see the changes.

7. Check/Repair an Existing Partition

To check or repair an existing partition for errors using GParted on Linux Mint, select the partition you want to check or repair from the list of devices. Then, press the Partition menu and choose “Check”.

This option allows users to check and repair an existing partition for errors. It takes time based on the size or condition of the partition.

8. Set/Unset Flags an Existing Partition

To set or unset various flags on an existing partition, select the disk that contains the partition and choose “Manage Flags” from the context menu. This option sets/unsets various flags on an existing partition. (Flags are special attributes that affect how the partition is treated by the system or other programs.)

A new interface opens with a list of multiple flags for that partition. Check/uncheck the flags that users require to set or unset. Then, hit the “Close” button to apply the modifications and close the editor. Finally, click the “green check” mark on the toolbar to confirm the operation and write the changes to the disk:

You have successfully used GParted on Linux Mint for all possible cases. Or require rebooting of the system after some operations for them to take effect.

Note that some operations may require you to unmount or lock the partition first. This means you cannot access or modify the data on that partition while GParted is working on it.

Conclusion

Gparted is a must-have tool for Linux Mint users who want to optimize their disk space and performance. To install GParted on Linux Mint, use the “gparted” package with different package managers (APT package manager, PPA repository, Software Manager, and Synaptic Package Manager).

The easiest/preferred way is to install GParted from the Software Manager (search “GParted” in the Manager search box and hit the “Install” button to install Gnome Partition Editor) and launch it from the menu or the terminal.

To use/manage GParted, you must use root privileges and unmount the partitions you want to modify. It can create, resize, move, copy, check, label, and format partitions with various file systems, such as ext4, FAT32, NTFS, and more. However, it can cause data loss or system damage if used incorrectly.