Advice on Partitioning ?

[Howard Coles Jr.]

On Monday 14 January 2008 07:41:23 am Derek Broughton wrote:
> Howard Coles Jr. wrote:
> > 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).
>
> This isn't a bad method, but I disagree with bothering with a partition
> for /boot.  It complicates grub configuration (because relative paths to
> the boot partition become /grub..., rather than /boot/grub...) and 100MB
> will no doubt not always be enough.  When I used to keep a /boot partition,
> I think I made the partition 30MB - which was more than enough.  Then
> kernels got too big for me to be able to have a "current" and "new" kernel
> at the same time...

Which goes back to what I said before this part:  It depends on who you ask.

I like to separate /boot out, but there have been times when I just didn't 
want to mess with it.  So, I could go either way.  I have used the above for 
years (since about 2000) without a problem, so I guess its just habit.  I 
don't know of a "technical" reason for separating it out anymore, I just 
still do, :-D.  

I have a server I'm going to be setting up (sometime this week), which I will 
leave that in with root.  I'll create a /opt partition because of the 
application, and will do the same for /var because I expect a lot of temp 
files.  / , /opt, swap and /var will be about it for this box.  

I usually throw in the exhortation to separate any file system you expect may 
at some time be used by regular users, or may fill up.  Generally that'll 
work on any system.

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