Beyond Linux® From Scratch - Version 7.10

Chapter 43. Other X-based Programs

Gparted-0.26.1

Introduction to Gparted

Gparted is the Gnome Partition Editor, a Gtk 2 GUI for other command line tools that can create, reorganise or delete disk partitions.

This package is known to build and work properly using an LFS-7.10 platform.

Package Information

Gparted Dependencies

Required

Gtkmm-2.24.4 and parted-3.2

Optional

GNOME Doc Utils and Rarian-0.8.1

User Notes: http://wiki.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/wiki/gparted

Installation of Gparted

Install Gparted by running the following commands: 

./configure --prefix=/usr    \
            --disable-doc    \
            --disable-static &&
make

This package does not come with a testsuite.

Now, as the root user: 

make install

Command Explanations

--disable-static: This switch prevents installation of static versions of the libraries.

--disable-doc: This switch disables building of the optional documentation. Remove it if you have installed GNOME Doc Utils.

Using Gparted

To manipulate file systems Gparted has a run time dependency on various file system tools (you only need to install the tools for file systems you actually use): Hdparm-9.48 (required for optionally displaying serial number device information), e2fsprogs (installed as part of LFS), jfsutils-1.1.15, ntfs-3g-2016.2.22, reiserfsprogs-3.6.25, xfsprogs-4.7.0, btrfs-progs, dosfstools, mtools (required to read and write FAT16/32 volume labels and UUIDs), hfsutils, hfsprogs, nilfs-utils and Reiser4progs.

Root privileges are required to run Gparted. If you wish to run the application from the menu, further applications and configurations are necessary. Examples of applications that may be used: gksu, kdesudo, or xdg-su. Another solution is to use pkexec, from Polkit-0.113, but some configuration is necessary. Another simple solution is ssh-askpass-7.3p1. Below, we describe these two alternatives: "ssh-askpass" and "pkexec".

ssh-askpass

To optionally use ssh-askpass-7.3p1 if it is installed in your system, run the following commands as the root user: 

cp -v /usr/share/applications/gparted.desktop /usr/share/applications/gparted.desktop.back &&
sed -i 's/Exec=/Exec=sudo -A /'               /usr/share/applications/gparted.desktop

Now, clicking on the menu item for Gparted, a dialog appears on the screen, asking for the administrator password.

pkexec

To optionally use pkexec, you need polkit-gnome-0.105, and ConsoleKit2-1.0.2 installed with support to Linux-PAM-1.3.0 and Polkit-0.113. As the root user, configure Gparted-0.26.1 and Polkit-0.113 with the following commands: 

cp -v /usr/share/applications/gparted.desktop \
                                     /usr/share/applications/gparted.desktop.back &&
sed -i 's:/usr/sbin/gparted:/usr/sbin/gparted_polkit:' \
                                     /usr/share/applications/gparted.desktop      &&

cat > /usr/sbin/gparted_polkit << "EOF" &&
#!/bin/bash

pkexec /usr/sbin/gparted $@
EOF
chmod -v 0755 /usr/sbin/gparted_polkit

Still as the root user, configure Polkit-0.113 and Gparted-0.26.1 to use pkexec: 

cat > /usr/share/polkit-1/actions/org.gnome.gparted.policy << "EOF"
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE policyconfig PUBLIC
 "-//freedesktop//DTD PolicyKit Policy Configuration 1.0//EN"
 "http://www.freedesktop.org/standards/PolicyKit/1/policyconfig.dtd">
<policyconfig>

  <action id="org.freedesktop.policykit.pkexec.run-gparted">
    <description>Run GParted</description>
    <message>Authentication is required to run GParted</message>
    <defaults>
      <allow_any>no</allow_any>
      <allow_inactive>no</allow_inactive>
      <allow_active>auth_admin_keep</allow_active>
    </defaults>
    <annotate key="org.freedesktop.policykit.exec.path">/usr/sbin/gparted</annotate>
    <annotate key="org.freedesktop.policykit.exec.allow_gui">true</annotate>
  </action>

</policyconfig>
EOF
chmod -v 0644 /usr/share/polkit-1/actions/org.gnome.gparted.policy

Now, clicking in the menu item for Gparted, a dialog appears in the screen, asking for the administrator password.

Contents

Installed Programs: gparted, gpartedbin and gparted_polkit (optional)
Installed Libraries: None
Installed Directories: None

Short Descriptions

gparted

is a shell script which sets up the environment before calling gpartedbin.

gpartedbin

is the Gparted binary.

gparted_polkit

is an optional script which can be used to run gparted with polkit, from a menu.

Last updated on 2016-09-03 18:26:28 -0700