GParted 1.8.0 fixes crashes and improves FAT handling

The developers of the free partitioning tool GParted have released version 1.8.0. The update focuses primarily on stability improvements and fixing critical errors. Shortly thereafter, GParted Live 1.8.0-2 was released, a bootable live system that includes the current GParted version.

The new GParted version fixes a crash that occurred when the program could not load icons. Previously, there was no check for errors when loading graphics elements. This led to a program crash when resources were unavailable. Another fixed error concerns setting FAT labels: if a label corresponded to an existing root folder entry, GParted no longer responded. The developers have improved the handling of this situation and at the same time clarified the error messages to avoid misleading information.

Additionally, GParted now deletes old signatures before all file system copies. This measure reduces conflicts from residual metadata during partition duplication, making the copying process safer and more consistent overall. The developers are also fixing a crash in the CommandStatus class that occurred during compilation without optimization.

Improved GPT Support and Extended Functions

In addition to the central bug fixes, GParted 1.8.0 also brings functional improvements. During copy and paste operations, GPT partition type GUIDs and the EFI system partition type are now preserved. Users receive explicit warnings when attempting to create logical EFI system partitions. The program also sets the LBA flag when creating FAT16, FAT32, and Extended partitions on MSDOS partition tables.

The user interface now displays updates for pending jobs. A fixed-width font is used for outputting command-line commands, which improves readability. Mount points are created in a private, temporary directory. Another change affects ext4 file systems: GParted no longer automatically disables 64-bit support for file systems under 16 TBytes.

GParted Live with Current Kernel

The concurrently released version, GParted Live 1.8.0-2, is based on the Debian Sid repository from January 27, 2026, and includes Linux kernel 6.18.5-1. The new kernel improves hardware support, especially for newer graphics cards and peripheral devices, and enhances compatibility with modern systems and virtual machines.

The developers have implemented a new mechanism to avoid a blank screen. However, a known issue persists: In virtual machines, a completely black window opens when calling "Help Contents". As a workaround, the developers recommend accessing the documentation via the corresponding website in the browser. For graphics problems, users should use the boot option "GParted Live (Safe graphics setting, vga-normal)".

The live version is now only available for amd64 (x86-64). Debian Sid has discontinued support for i386/i686 packages, which is why GParted Live is no longer available for these architectures. To compile GParted 1.8.0 from source, developers need a compiler with C++14 support, which requires at least GCC 5.

(fo)