formatting hard disk..what do I not know?

[Jayson Rowe]

On Fri, 25 Apr 2008, Paderick Lundy wrote:

> I have used Unix since 1986 and I have installed many, many copies of Unix/Linux over the past years but this Unbuntu
> installation has me stumped, perhaps someone can point me to some information that explains my problem.
> 
> First I downloaded the newest version Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Server Edition.  When I try to partition the hard drives in my box
> (SATA 320GB and SATA 74GB)  I get a screen that tells me the root partition that I had tried to format to a size of
> 500MB must be at least 19 GB.  I ran linux/Unix root partitions of 50 MB for years, what gives that I need 19 GB?
> 
> Next I created a partition of 3 GB on the second HD for swap and the software gave me another error message that this
> was not permissible. 
> 
> I guess my real question is;  has the Linux community gotten to the point where a user cannot or does not have the
> freedom to configure their own equipment the way they please or is this version going in the direction of Mickey$oft and
> making all of the decisions for the user?
> 
> This post is not meant to be a flame, I have been away from Linux for awhile, have a spare machine and decided to see
> what's new in Linux.  I need some reorientation and I would appreciate a link that will explain the design philosophy
> behind this version of Linux since it's popularity would appear that it is the Leading version of Linux.
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> --
> Joseph Patrick Ryan
> 
> The secret of greatness is simple: do better work than any other man in your field - and keep on doing it.
> Wilfred A. Peterson
> 
I do not think it would be remotely possible to fit even a basic Ubuntu 
Server install on a 500MB root partition - I could see maybe a small 
50MB-200-MB /boot partition but that's too small for / in this day and age 
IMHO

-jayson