Managing Linode Disk Images

Resizing a Disk Image 

Here's a sample configuration profile and disk image list:

Clicking on "Debian 5.0 Disk Image" allows us to edit the image's label, size, and read/write status. We'll resize this disk to a smaller image (note: all disk image operations must be done with the Linode shut down):

Enter the new size for the disk image, make sure it's not set to "read only" if you intend to write to it (as is the usual case), and press "Save Changes" to start the resize operation.

If you're shrinking an image, make sure your filesystem isn't using more space than the size you want the disk image to be. You can check the space used on your Linode's filesystem using the df -h command. While resizing is a non-destructive operation, a disk resize job will fail to complete if your filesystem is using more space than the target size.

You may also expand a disk image. For EXT3 filesystems, this will resize the filesystem to automatically use the extra space.

Creating a New Disk Image 

You may wish to create a new disk image to allow for separate filesystems. Let's create a test image with a size of 500 MB, specifying the filesystem as EXT3:

To use a new disk image, you'll need to assign it to your Linode's configuration profile.

Once your disk image is added to your configuration profile, you may edit your /etc/fstab file to specify where you'd like it mounted on your system. Please note that your new disk image will be visible in your Linode after you reboot it.

Duplicating a Disk Image 

Duplicating a disk image is an easy means of saving snapshots of entire filesystems. You may do so by clicking the "Duplicate Image" button:

License 

This guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Please feel free to redistribute unmodified copies of it as long as attribution is provided, preferably via a link to this page.