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I am using Ubuntu 16.04 (it's a dual boot to windows 10 if that matters) I could also do the renaming process on my mac. Also note that Ubuntu is on my computer hard drive, not the external.

I have an external hard drive with two partitions. One of them contains a large amount of important data (it would be difficult for me find a place to save this data while I do the partition). The other is empty.

I need to rename one of them (it can be the empty one) because they both have spaces in the name and this is interfering with some software and scripts I need to use.

Essentially, I want to know if it possible to rename the partition safely without backing up my files and, if so, how?

Madeleine Therese
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2 Answers2

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As far as I know, renaming a partition, even if not empty, should not effect the data on it. Just be careful to rename, not repartition or reformat.

Look here for how to rename from either a GUI or terminal

unixandria
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There are a number of ways to re-label a partition. To cure your problem, remove the spaces in the label name, and replace them with "_" (underscores). ie: New_Label

Note: Keep in mind that changing labels may cause problems in scripts, mount points, /etc/fstab, or commands that require path names.

Note: File/disk backups are always a good idea.

In the terminal...

sudo tune2fs -L new_label /dev/sdaX # change the sdaX to the proper partition number

In gparted...

right-click on a partition and choose "Label File System"

In Disks...

from a pull-down menu and choose "Edit Filesystem Label"

heynnema
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