FreeBSD gpart

FreeBSD gpart is a utility for managing disk partitions through the GEOM class in FreeBSD. It can create, add, delete, modify, and resize partitions, set or clear attributes, and display partition details such as indexes, types, start blocks, and sizes. Documented schemes include APM, BSD, BSD64, LDM, GPT, and MBR. When adding a partition, users can request alignment for its starting offset and size. The dump and restore actions let users save a partition table and copy it to multiple providers. Changes can remain pending until committed or be reversed with undo. The recover command can address corrupt partition scheme metadata, but choosing the wrong provider can damage metadata belonging to another GEOM class. A partition in active use by the kernel cannot be deleted. The show command can also produce human-readable or machine-readable output. gpart is included with FreeBSD, which is available free of charge with its source code. The utility appeared in FreeBSD 7.0. FreeBSD offers installer, virtual machine, and SD card images, and lists server, desktop, appliance, and embedded environments among its uses.

gpart offers partition management, inspection, and table backup within FreeBSD. Its pending-change controls and recovery command are useful capabilities, while recovery requires careful provider selection.

gpart is suited to FreeBSD users who need to create, inspect, or change disk partition layouts. Its table backup and restore actions may also suit users copying layouts across providers.

FreeBSD gpart is a command-line utility for managing disk partitions on FreeBSD systems. It is best suited to administrators who need direct control of partition tables and can work within FreeBSD’s GEOM framework. Its broad management and backup tools make it capable, but its platform scope and provider-sensitive recovery call for care.

Overview

gpart handles the working life of a partition table: inspect it, make changes, save or undo pending edits, and back it up for restoration or cloning to other providers. That combination suits system administration and repeatable maintenance, especially when a graphical editor is not part of the workflow. Because gpart operates through GEOM, use depends on kernel support for the partitioning scheme in question.

Its safeguards help manage changes without removing operational risk. Edits can remain pending until committed or be reverted with undo, and the kernel prevents deletion of a partition it is actively using. Recovery is more delicate: selecting the wrong provider can damage metadata belonging to another GEOM class.

Key features

• Partition management: Create, add, delete, modify, and resize partitions; inspect them; and set or clear attributes. This covers routine table administration, while the active-use restriction can constrain deletion during live system work.
• Scheme coverage and alignment: Documented schemes include APM, BSD, BSD64, LDM, GPT, and MBR. When adding a partition, users can request alignment for its starting offset and size, useful when laying out storage to specified boundaries.
• Inspection and structured output: The show command reports start blocks, sizes, indexes, types, and human-readable sizes. Its libxo option can produce human- and machine-readable formats, making it suitable for both direct inspection and scripts.
• Pending changes and table copies: Commit writes pending changes; undo reverts them. A partition table can also be dumped in a format accepted by restore, including for cloning the table to multiple providers. These features support deliberate edits and repeatable layouts.
• Boot code and recovery: The bootcode command writes bootstrap code to partitioning metadata or a specified partition, subject to scheme requirements. Recover can address corrupt scheme metadata, but its provider-selection hazard makes it a tool for operators who can identify the target precisely.

Pricing

FreeBSD gpart: free. The utility is included with FreeBSD, which is available free of charge with its source code. There is no separate paid tier or free trial; using a partitioning scheme requires kernel support for that scheme. This is a straightforward fit for FreeBSD users who need the utility, but it does not offer a separate cross-platform product plan.

Platforms

gpart is self-hosted as part of FreeBSD. FreeBSD provides installer, virtual machine, and SD card images, including offline and network-dependent installer and USB options. Supported architectures include amd64, aarch64, armv7, powerpc64, powerpc64le, and riscv64. The operating system targets server, desktop, appliance, and embedded environments, so gpart’s practical reach follows the FreeBSD systems a reader operates.

FreeBSD publishes security advisories and instructions for updating binary installations with freebsd-update. Support includes community channels and commercial vendors offering products, services, or consulting.

Who it's for

gpart is the right choice for FreeBSD administrators who want command-line control over partition tables, need structured output for automation, or need to back up and replicate table layouts. It is less suitable for someone seeking a graphical partition editor or a tool to administer systems outside FreeBSD. Recovery also demands enough GEOM knowledge to select the correct provider confidently.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Broad operations across documented partition schemes make it useful for both everyday changes and table maintenance.
• Pro: Pending edits, undo, and table dump and restore give administrators control over change timing and repeatable layouts.
• Pro: libxo output supports scripts as well as human inspection.
• Con: It is tied to FreeBSD and requires kernel support for the selected scheme, limiting its fit for mixed-platform administration.
• Con: Recovery can damage metadata on another GEOM class if the wrong provider is chosen.
• Con: A partition actively used by the kernel cannot be deleted, which can limit changes on a running system.

Alternatives

Disk Partition Software is a useful starting point for comparing partition tools. For Windows, AOMEI Partition Assistant has a free Standard plan and a paid Professional Yearly plan at $49.95 a year; consider it when Windows is the target platform. IM-Magic Partition Resizer offers a free plan and a free trial for Windows, making it another Windows option.

Macrorit Partition Expert has a free edition for home users on Windows and a paid Pro Standard Edition; it fits readers looking for a Windows partition tool with a free edition. MiniTool Partition Wizard offers basic disk and partition functions free, with a Pro plan at $59 a year that renews automatically unless canceled before renewal; consider it if those Windows options suit your needs.

Active@ Partition Manager is a free Windows alternative with no free trial. DiskGenius has a free edition and paid editions, including a Professional One-Month plan at $69.90 a month; it is another Windows choice. GParted is free software with a partition editor application that requires Linux for native installation, and its listed platforms include Linux, macOS, self-hosted, and Windows. iBeesoft Disk Partition Wizard offers a Basic plan at no charge for unlimited computers, with paid yearly plans for one computer or one to three computers; it is a Windows alternative.

Verdict

FreeBSD gpart is a strong choice for administrators working directly on FreeBSD who need partition-table control, backup and restore, and script-friendly inspection without a separate software price. Choose it when its GEOM-based workflow and scheme support match the system; look elsewhere when you need a graphical editor, broader operating-system coverage, or recovery that does not require careful provider selection.