A major reason for that space is liquidity, for lack of a better phrase. If you have 5% reserved you can probably allocate a new block near your existing file. If you only have, say, 1%, you will probably have a lot more thrashing. However this all assumes the same file size distribution as in the past. It may be better, or it may be worst, with gigabyte media files. Shudder. Imagine the thrashing with a poorly distributed video file. <div class="gmail_quote">On Oct 17, 2011 11:45 AM, "Vesa Paatero" <<a href="mailto:vpaatero@lavabit.com">vpaatero@lavabit.com</a>> wrote: <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"> Hello, When Ubuntu installers create disk partitions, they reserve the default 5% of blocks for root-only use. For nowadays hard disks, however, that percentage can make dozens of gigabytes, which seems much more than the necessary/reasonable amount for that purpose. People can change the reserved size afterwards by using tune2fs if they know that such a reservation takes place... but since Ubuntu is aiming to be easy-to-use distro, particularly suited for those who don't know the stuff "under the hood", it would be best if the installer set the optimal size of the root-only reservation automatically. So, how about if some people with a good idea of the disk usage of the basic system services decide what the right amount to be reserved (as a function of disk space?) is and then someone who knows the installation scripts could make the necessary changes there? Should I add an entry about this into some database.. the bug database, the brainstorm system or what others there are? Thanks for considering it, Vesa -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list <a href="mailto:Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com" target="_blank">Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com</a> Modify settings or unsubscribe at: <a href="https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss" target="_blank">https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss</a> </blockquote></div>