# Mender-growfs-data and extra partitions **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussions\ **Tags:** mender\_extra\_parts\ **Created:** [September 1, 2021, 2:52pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/mender-growfs-data-and-extra-partitions/4050 "2021-09-01T14:52:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gschmott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/57b2e6/32.png) [@gschmott](https://hub.mender.io/u/gschmott)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 2:52pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/mender-growfs-data-and-extra-partitions/4050/1 "2021-09-01T14:52:19Z")
I have an embedded ZyboZ7 board running Yocto Zeus. It boots from a 4GB SDcard and I’m getting the following error from the mender-grow-data.service: > mender-client-resize-data-part[92]: Error: Can’t have overlapping partitions. This systemd service calls: /usr/bin/mender-client-resize-data-part Which in turn tries to resize (grow) my ‘data’ partition (5): /usr/sbin/parted -s /dev/mmcblk0 resizepart 5 100% My Mender configuration adds an extra partition using the MENDER\_EXTRA\_PARTS mechanism. Here is my configuration: ```auto # Mender Configuration # The Mender storage device. MENDER_STORAGE_DEVICE = "/dev/mmcblk0" # Size of the memory device in MiB. MENDER_STORAGE_TOTAL_SIZE_MB = "3700" # Partition alignment MENDER_PARTITION_ALIGNMENT = "4096" MENDER_BOOT_PART_SIZE_MB = "16" MENDER_BOOT_PART = "${MENDER_STORAGE_DEVICE_BASE}1" MENDER_ROOTFS_PART_A = "${MENDER_STORAGE_DEVICE_BASE}2" MENDER_ROOTFS_PART_B = "${MENDER_STORAGE_DEVICE_BASE}3" # An extra partition will result in the creation of an extended msdos # partition in place of the primary partition typically used by the # Mender 'data' partition. By default 'data' partition starts at "4" but it # is now an extended partition. The "new" data partition will now # shift to partition "5" and subsequent extra partitions will follow # afterwards (e.g. "6", "7", ...). MENDER_DATA_PART = "${MENDER_STORAGE_DEVICE_BASE}5" MENDER_DATA_PART_FSTAB_OPTS_append = ",sync" # Extra partitions MENDER_EXTRA_PARTS = "dante" MENDER_EXTRA_PARTS[dante] = "--label=dante --fstype=ext4" MENDER_EXTRA_PARTS_SIZES_MB[dante] = "4" MENDER_EXTRA_PARTS_FSTAB[dante] = "auto defaults,sync" MENDER_ARTIFACT_NAME = "${DISTRO}-2021-05-18" MENDER_FEATURES_ENABLE_append = " mender-image mender-image-sd mender-client-install mender-uboot mender-systemd mender-growfs-data" # This needs equal (2 * (BOOTENV_SIZE + (BOOTENV_SIZE % MENDER_PARTITION_ALIGNMENT))) MENDER_RESERVED_SPACE_BOOTLOADER_DATA = "262144" ``` And my SDCard partitioning looks like the following: ```auto # parted /dev/mmcblk0 unit s print Model: SD SA04G (sd/mmc) Disk /dev/mmcblk0: 7626752s Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B Partition Table: msdos Disk Flags: Number Start End Size Type File system Flags 1 520s 33287s 32768s primary fat16 boot, lba 2 33288s 3670271s 3636984s primary ext4 3 3670272s 7307255s 3636984s primary ext4 4 7307263s 7577607s 270345s extended lba 5 7307264s 7569407s 262144s logical ext4 6 7569416s 7577607s 8192s logical ext4 ``` So basically, the `data` and `dante` partitions (5 & 6) are part of an extended msdos partition (4). The error occurs when `parted` attempts to grow the `data` partition but cannot because the `dante` partition follows immediately after it. It seems this is the issue. Ideally I want the `data` partition to follow the `dante` partition (rather than vice-versa) so it could grow. Is there any way to configure Mender to place the data partition _ **after** _ the extra partitions so that it can grow automatically? Are extra partitions incompatible with auto growing the `data` partition? ---
**Author:** ![oleorhagen](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/oleorhagen/32/297_2.png) [@oleorhagen](https://hub.mender.io/u/oleorhagen)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2021, 8:17am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/mender-growfs-data-and-extra-partitions/4050/2 "2021-09-03T08:17:10Z")
Hi @gschmott As far as I can understand, as it is now, the data partition extension is incompatible with the extra partitions. But I’m not intricately familiar with the image functionality. Perhaps @kacf could help shed some further light on the issue? ---
**Author:** ![gschmott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/57b2e6/32.png) [@gschmott](https://hub.mender.io/u/gschmott)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2021, 1:10pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/mender-growfs-data-and-extra-partitions/4050/3 "2021-09-03T13:10:31Z")
Hi @oleorhagen - This is what I understand as well after seeing the error reported in the systemd logs. I was hoping there was a work-around other than disabling the auto-growth functionality and doing a better job estimating the size I need up-front for the data partition. Hoping someone else can suggest a work-around 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dellgreen](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/dellgreen/32/85_2.png) [@dellgreen](https://hub.mender.io/u/dellgreen)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2021, 1:56pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/mender-growfs-data-and-extra-partitions/4050/4 "2021-09-03T13:56:40Z")
I would say you have 2 possible work-arounds, 1. Investigate how to bbappend the mender yocto recipes to fix up the necessary files to target the last a partition for growth rather than the data partition 2. disable mender growfs and add you own system service that handles growing the last partition and its file system on boot. ---
**Author:** ![gschmott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/57b2e6/32.png) [@gschmott](https://hub.mender.io/u/gschmott)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2021, 2:21pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/mender-growfs-data-and-extra-partitions/4050/5 "2021-09-03T14:21:24Z")
> [@dellgreen](#): > > Investigate how to bbappend the mender yocto recipes to fix up the necessary files to target the last a partition for growth rather than the data partition That’s the thing, I do not want the `dante` (extra) partition to grow but rather _only_ the `data` partition. What this means is **always** placing the extra partitions **before** the `data` partition so that `data` can be grown into the unused space. I suspect this is easier said than be done and likely requires more than a bbappend fix since (if I recall) much of the functionality is located in a Mender bbclass. > [@dellgreen](#): > > disable mender growfs and add you own system service that handles growing the last partition and its file system on boot. I wouldn’t have to disable Mender’s growfs systemd service if I could move the `data` partition _after_ the extra partitions. But this essentially is the crux of the problem - the placement of the extra partitions in relation to the `data` partition. ---
**Author:** ![dellgreen](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/dellgreen/32/85_2.png) [@dellgreen](https://hub.mender.io/u/dellgreen)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2021, 2:39pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/mender-growfs-data-and-extra-partitions/4050/6 "2021-09-03T14:39:24Z")
Oh I see, sorry I misunderstood your requirements ---
**Author:** ![kacf](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/kacf/32/146_2.png) [@kacf](https://hub.mender.io/u/kacf)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2021, 5:45am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/mender-growfs-data-and-extra-partitions/4050/7 "2021-09-07T05:45:08Z")
Yeah, this isn’t supported at the moment. What would be great is if [this section](https://github.com/mendersoftware/meta-mender/blob/dunfell-v2021.08/meta-mender-core/classes/mender-part-images.bbclass#L139-L145) could take into account which number the `MENDER_DATA_PART` variable has, and use that to place the partition appropriately. This would require changing and probably splitting up [this function](https://github.com/mendersoftware/meta-mender/blob/dunfell-v2021.08/meta-mender-core/classes/mender-helpers.bbclass#L392-L400) into two parts, one for before the data partition, and one for after. It would have to take into account extended partitions too. A pull request for this would be appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![bram](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@bram](https://hub.mender.io/u/bram)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2023, 10:30am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/mender-growfs-data-and-extra-partitions/4050/8 "2023-10-03T10:30:22Z")
Is there any update on this issue? Has it been resolved in a newer version? ---
**Author:** ![kacf](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/kacf/32/146_2.png) [@kacf](https://hub.mender.io/u/kacf)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 7:08am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/mender-growfs-data-and-extra-partitions/4050/9 "2023-10-06T07:08:36Z")
I’m afraid not, no one has stepped up and contributed this yet.