Unable to get APFS Container resize limit information

Question

Level 1

4 points

Unable to get APFS Container resize limit information

Hello,

I am trying to install Linux Mint as a second OS on a MacBook Pro (13-inch, late 2011) with the following configuration

a 250GB SSD (about 90GB free) where MacOS High Sierra (10.13.6) is actually installed
a 500GB HD split into 250GB for Time Machine and 250GB for data.

I followed this tutorial (https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/install-linux-macbook-pro/), but the partition resizing with Utility Disk does not work (the output is "internal error"). I checked the disk with First Aid option and everything was OK.

Then I tried to force repartitioning in recovery mode using both Utility Disk and Terminal. After identifying the APFS container (diskutil list), the command to shrink the partition (diskutil apfs resizeContainer diskXsY 200g) gives me this output:

Error: Unable to get APFS container resize limit information

Do you know what I can do? Would it be possible to resize the partition using the live version of Linux Mint through GParted?

Thanks in advance,

Gio

Posted on Aug 6, 2023 1:06 PM

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Answer 1

ku4hx

Level 7

23,786 points

Aug 6, 2023 4:38 PM in response to gio1581

I have Linux Mint installed in VMWare Fusion and it works perfectly ... fast and stable.

There is no need to do any partitioning with VMWare Fusion as the app creates a single file that can exist on any available drive. Obviously, an SSD (Samsung T7 to be exact) works far better than an HDD. The linux file is 16.09 GB. I could have made it larger, but decided 16GB was plenty.

On that same drive, Windows 10 exists with it ... right there together.

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Answer 2

Aug 7, 2023 9:34 AM in response to gio1581

Why not just boot Knoppix linux self-configuring 'live' linux off a 16GB or larger USB-stick, no configuration or additional drive space needed?

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Answer 3

Aug 6, 2023 4:43 PM in response to gio1581

It is Not good practice to store other items on your Time Machine drive.

Also, on what drive are those Data items backed up? All on the same drive?

That is not OK -- one drive failure takes out every copy of those files.

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Answer 4

gio1581 Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 6, 2023 10:53 PM in response to ku4hx

Hi ku4hx,

Thanks for your answer. I would like to run Linux without virtualization as the hardware of my MBP is quite old.

My idea is to keep running MacOS and Linux for a while and at some point switch completely to Linux as my MBP has stopped receiving security updates from Apple and the third party software installed on it.

Best,

Gio

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Answer 5

gio1581 Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 6, 2023 11:00 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Hello Grant Bennet-Alder,

Thanks for your reply. I have two different hard drives installed on my MBP: one for MacOS and the other for data and hourly backups (Time Machine). This helps me to have recovery files and they are not stored with the OS.

Once a week I also do a manual backup with Duplicati, which is platform independent.

My original question is not about configuring Time Machine/backups, but about shrinking the AFPS partition. Do you have any idea where the error is coming from?

Best,

Gio

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Answer 6

Aug 7, 2023 7:04 AM in response to gio1581

I think of the MacOS Partition as completely expendable. if your Mac is working properly, you can re-create a fresh copy of MacOS in a few hours of mundane activity. Variable portion such as settings are stored separately, in your User-id data.

Sometimes the best path forward is "none of the above.' I was trying to point out that the spot you were reaching for was not best practice (data and backup should not be on the same drive).

My hope is that you will re-think your approach entirely.

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Answer 7

gio1581 Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 7, 2023 9:15 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I agree with you, but my original question is related to shrinking the partition (as the title of the topic said) - do you think that the error I get is related to the Time Machine setting?

My MBP works fine, but if I have to reinstall MacOS, I will go straight for Linux. The idea of dual-booting is to test Linux without completely removing MacOS.

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