blivet-gui

As of Fedora 25, blivet-gui [5] replaces the previously used LVM as the default program for managing LVM installations. Earlier versions of blivet-gui are available in the repositories for the older versions of Fedora. The software is available from a separate PPA [5] for Ubuntu and its derivatives. Blivet-gui requires the Python blivet module, which uses Anaconda, the default installer on Fedora and Red Hat. The tool is visually based on GParted [6]. The functions are also similar to those of GParted: Before blivet-gui makes changes to the mass storage system, it collects them in a queue and then presents them to you for the OK to go ahead.

After a successful installation, a launcher can be found in the System submenu. As with LVM GUI, you call blivet-gui with administrator rights; after a short system scan, you are taken to a three-part interface (Figure 5).

Figure 5: Blivet-gui is visually reminiscent of GParted, but without the menubar.

Unlike its role model GParted, blivet-gui does not provide a menubar. You can control the program completely with the buttons at the top right in the program window and in the appropriate right-click context menus.

Interface

The left window segment shows a vertical list view of the physical and logical volumes in the system. The logical volumes are under Disks , and the block devices fall under LVM . The program window visualizes volumes as a horizontal bar, depending on the view selected on the left. Blivet users can switch the respective view using the Logical View and Physical View tabs (Figure 6).

Figure 6: Blivet-gui very clearly shows physical and logical volumes, giving admins an overview of the logical volumes spanning multiple physical volumes.

Below the horizontal bar under Logical View , the individual volumes, including their relevant information, are arranged in a table; the view also includes the filesystem. Unlike LVM GUI, the number and size of physical extents are not shown here. If you switch over to the Physical View , no information appears below the bar display. This form of the view is particularly useful for a quick overview of logical volumes spanning multiple physical volumes in the system.

Actions

The blivet user performs individual configuration steps through context menus by right-clicking on a volume in the table view below the bar display. For example, you can select a physical volume that belongs to a volume group, but is still missing a logical volume, and set it up with a filesystem by clicking on New in the context menu.

Blivet-gui partly supports other filesystems that LVM GUI does not, including, for example, ReiserFS, which is no longer under development, and GFS2 [7], designed primarily for large clusters under Linux. With the slide control, you can set the size of the logical volume, or you can enter a value directly. Clicking OK integrates the new logical drive and makes it ready for operation (Figure 7).

Figure 7: Blivet users can create a new logical drive with just a few clicks and the slide control.

To modify existing logical volumes, select Edit | Format from the context menu of the corresponding volume. You can delete a volume with Delete . The changes do not go into effect until you confirm them.

For this purpose, clicking the small button with a check mark at top right in the program window displays the pending operations in a separate window, but blivet only performs these actions after you press OK .

If you subsequently add new physical volumes to the system, you can first integrate them with an existing logical volume by selecting Edit | Modify parents in the context menu. You can adjust the size of the entire volume with Edit | Resize . To perform the jobs placed in a queue, click the Apply icon at top right to reconfigure the system.