Logical volume is not mounted but is in use. Please close all applications using this device (eg iscsi)

Question

How do I resize a LVM partition using system-config-lvm? As per this Ask Ubuntu answer

I clicked on the partition and tried to resize, but got a pop-up error from system-config-lvm.

Logical volume is not mounted but is in use. Please close all applications using this device (eg iscsi).

What's the problem and how can I fix it?

See also this Ask Ubuntu answer.

Solution 1

Increasing the size of a logical volume that's being used is indeed possible. That's one of the major advantages of using LVM in the first place.

It's just these gui tools ... meh ... forget about 'em.

1. (optional) Check how much space you've got left on your Volume Group with sudo vgdisplay

2. Find the name of your Logical Volume with sudo lvdisplay

3. Extend the volume by 5GB: sudo lvextend -L+5GB /dev/ssd/sysLV

4. Increase the filesystem size to match the LV: sudo resize2fs /dev/ssd/sysLV (ext4 only, see this link for other filesystems)

5. df -h should now report the correct size. Be happy, praise the command line!

Solution 2

As I can see Thunderbird running, you obviously missed an important step:

• Boot from a live CD.

What you're trying to do would be the real life equivalent of asking a surgeon to operate on himself, at home... ;-)

So prepare the operating room (boot the live CD so that the volume is not locked) and start operating, doctor! (follow the instructions in https://askubuntu.com/a/489909/45156)

Solution 3

You can try another GUI tool - KVPM. It helped in my case. I successfully extended a logical volume that was mounted as /home on the fly.

Solution 4

This seems to be a bug in the system-config-lvm tool.
Instead you can use the command lines:

lvextend -L +nnG /device 
resizet2fs /devic

This works even if the partition is the live /

View more solutions

Comments

[steeldriver]

Have you tried deactivating it from the command line (something like sudo vgchange -an /dev/ubuntu-vg/root)? Sorry I am not familiar with the GUI tool.

[mirams]

You should be able to do this on the fly - that's the main advantage of LVM as I understand it. This is a bug: bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=672475

[user48956]

I thought the point of LVM was that this could be done on a live system.

[user48956]

Is the best answer. kvpm doesn't require shutting down.

[panepeter]

"LVM can expand a partition while it is mounted, if the filesystem used on it also supports that ( like the usual ext3/4 )." LVM sure is one badass surgeon! See my answer for a working command line alternative.

[Fabby]

+1 as you provide a solution that works... ;-) I answered original question which was with a GUI and to the procedure OP was following...

[mpromonet]

Often I need to extends with the free space, I just add, then I use sudo lvextend -l +100%FREE /dev/ssd/sysLV