How to create a partition size larger than 2TB on Linux

Parted is a GNU utility and used to create, manipulate and delete the hard disk partitions.

Select the drive that you need to create

# fdisk -l /dev/sdb

Disk /dev/sdb: 3000.6 GB, 3000592982016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 364801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

[root@ ~]# parted /dev/sdb
GNU Parted 2.1
Using /dev/sdb
Welcome to GNU Parted! Type ‘help’ to view a list of commands.

(parted) mklabel gpt
Warning: The existing disk label on /dev/sdb will be destroyed and all data on this disk will be lost. Do you want to continue?
Yes/No? Yes

Now, let’s set default size unit to TB, type “unit TB” and press enter:

(parted) unit TB
Type: mkpart primary 0.00TB 3.00TB to create a 3TB partition

Or

(parted) mkpart primary ext4 0% 100%

(parted) print
Model: Adaptec raid10vz (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 3887GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt

Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 1049kB 3887GB 3887GB primary

(parted) quit
Information: You may need to update /etc/fstab.

Now format the new patition:

[root@ ~]# mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb1
mke2fs 1.41.12 (17-May-2010)
Filesystem label=
OS type: Linux
Block size=4096 (log=2)
Fragment size=4096 (log=2)
Stride=0 blocks, Stripe width=0 blocks
237240320 inodes, 948960256 blocks
47448012 blocks (5.00%) reserved for the super user
First data block=0
Maximum filesystem blocks=4294967296
28960 block groups
32768 blocks per group, 32768 fragments per group
8192 inodes per group
Superblock backups stored on blocks:
32768, 98304, 163840, 229376, 294912, 819200, 884736, 1605632, 2654208,
4096000, 7962624, 11239424, 20480000, 23887872, 71663616, 78675968,
102400000, 214990848, 512000000, 550731776, 644972544

Writing inode tables: done
Creating journal (32768 blocks): done
Writing superblocks and filesystem accounting information: done
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