Advice on Partitioning ?

[Howard Coles Jr.]

On Sunday 13 January 2008 10:12:54 pm Clark wrote:
> Can someone suggest a good place to start reading up on the subject of
> Partitioning and if possible the software used and where to get it.
> Wine is way too exotic for me at this stage.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Clark.

By Partitioning are you asking for install orders of OS's so that you can dual 
boot, or how to and how much to assign to, partitions?

the First is fairly easy.
First create a partition of whatever size you want for Windoze, then install 
Kubuntu (or whatever distro) second.  Otherwise MS will hose up your Master 
Boot Record and you'll lose the ability to boot into Linux.

OR

Lay out the partitioning strictly for Linux, giving a fairly large portion 
to /home.  Then use VirtualBox, or VMWare free server to create a Windoze 
guest.  This will let you reboot it faster when Windoze crashes, and allow 
you to run your needed app at the same time you're running Linux.

Now, for Partitioning Schemes, i.e. how much and how many partitions to use.  
That is a whole other ball game.  
Reasons:
1.  Depends on How big your hard drive is.
2.  Depends on What you are going to do with it.
3.  Depends on who you ask about it.

If I were you I would start by Googling "partition layout linux how-to"

You'll find a myriad of recommendations.  IBM, Linux Documentation Project, 
Linuxforums.org, Linuxquestions.org, Linux How-to list, just to name a few 
places to go.

My recommendation for starter desktops is that you at least create 4 
partitions for Linux:
1.  " / " called "root" Give this at least 15 - 20 GB (if your hard drive is 
large enough)
2. "/boot" Give this no more than 100 MB as it will never need all of that.  
This is just for the Kernel and its needed files.
3. "/home"  Give this the lion Share of the drive because this is where you 
are going to put just about everything.
4.  "swap"  Probably wont need more than 2 GB (I know I've never needed it, 
for desktop setups anyway).

Now, you can definitely get more advanced, but that usually works for a start.  
This layout allows you to install a hundred different distros and not lose 
your data in the /home directory, keeps you from having to do extended 
Partitions unless you have windoze as a separate one, and is easy to keep up 
with.  :-D.

-- 
See Ya'
Howard Coles Jr.
John 3:16!