Partitioning -- was Re: choosing a distro and version
Ed Barnes
ed.barnes at janus.northatlantic.nf.ca
Tue Feb 26 16:58:26 EST 2002
Hi Janina.
Despite the fact that I have done only one basic Unix/Linux course before,
my thought was and still is, that having separate partitions such as /var,
/tmp and such will decrease the amount of typing needed to be done and will
decrease the likelyness that I could confuse Linux file conventions and
mount points with the conventions used by other network operating systems
which I am using now and will likely continue to use after I graduate from
my program, I.E., Ms Windows NT and 2000 servers, Novell Netware, and such.
I realize that with more practice and experience, these differences will
not be as confusing and I will be able to talk the speak of one and then
quickly switch to any of the others, however; that is a ways away yet.
Regards all.
Ed Barnes
At 11:56 AM 25/02/2002, you wrote:
>Well, this is good, Ed. The best part is the realization that you will
>reinstall in the near future. In fact, you may find that you do a fair
>amount of installing before you develop your own "style" as it were.
>
>The point is not that you should have /var and /tmp. Of course you should,
>and will have them. The question is only whether creating these two file
>systems as separate partitions makes any sense or not. In other words, if
>you don't specify them as separate partitions, the installer will zsimply
>create those directories in /.
>
>Ditto for /usr and /home, by the bye.
>
> On Sun, 24 Feb 2002, Ed Barnes
>wrote:
>
> > Janina, just one thing to add to your suggestion of dumping the /tmp and
> > /var partitions.
> > I was of the understanding that files relating to dns services resided
> > somewhere under /var and I did want to have a dns service running so I
> could
> > access my other machines on my little hobby network here at home from the
> > internet.
> > Also, I don't imagine that those two small hard drives will be residing in
> > my Linux computer for ever as the only game in town so to speak, I am
> > planning to buy a 20 or a 40 for my main system which is a Windows box,
> > remove the 12 gb from the Windows box of course, and stick it in the Linux
> > box so itwould then have three.
> > As the edition of a 12 gb would change the complection of the system in a
> > radical sense I undoubtedly would flatten the two smaller hard drives and
> > re-install everything to fully take advantage of the fact that I would have
> > a great deal more storage space.
> > I'd imagine my Linux system with only two hard drives in it will only be up
> > for a couple of weeks before I have bought the new drive, however; I figure
> > that what I have is decent to learn from in the beginning and I'd guess
> > whatever software I could fit in a 1 gb /usr partition would be enough to
> > occupy my thirst to learn Linux until I add the larger drive.
> > Thanks for sending the extra info and good luck with the new software you
> > were playing with.
> > Ed Barnes
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Janina Sajka" <janina at afb.net>
> > To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
> > Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2002 10:48 PM
> > Subject: Re: Partitioning -- was Re: choosing a distro and version
> >
> >
> > Yes, they were missing, sorry about that. Playing around with unfamiliar
> > software ...
> >
> > Let me try this again ...
> >
> > Since you're only using this linux computer for yourself, and since your
> > hard drives are relatively small as these things are thought of today, I'd
> > advise dumping the /var and /tmp partitions. The 400 mB you specified for
> > / is sufficient for / and /var and /tmp most probably. If anything on /var
> > gets too large, which is unlikely, you can always move it to /home and
> > create a symbolic link in /var--so you are not boxing yourself in by doing
> > this.
> >
> > I guess that if it were me, I'd want a bit more than 1 gB for /usr because
> > I'd expect to play around with software. On Sun, 24 Feb 2002, Ed Barnes
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Hi janina, I think your editional comments you referred too are missing,
> > or
> > > at least I am unable to find them. Thanks. Ed
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Janina Sajka" <janina at afb.net>
> > > To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
> > > Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2002 3:03 PM
> > > Subject: Re: Partitioning -- was Re: choosing a distro and version
> > >
> > >
> > > Hi, Ed:
> > >
> > > This looks much better to me. A couple of comments sill, however:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Ed Barnes writes:
> > > > Janina and list.
> > > > I am learning more and more from this list as I write to it and
> read the
> > > > messages of others and I should add that I am thoroughally enjoying
> > > > participating.
> > > > Guess the fact that I am a bit of a computer nird might have something
> > to
> > > do
> > > > with it in a sense because I spend hours and hours fooling around at
> > > > computer stuff outside of what school requires just because I enjoy it
> > as
> > > a
> > > > hobby.
> > > > Nevertheless, yes Janina I did forget the ned for a /usr partition.
> > > > Regarding putting the swap partition on /dev/hda1, I found it a little
> > odd
> > > > that you were commenting on this as I couldn't remember writing that in
> > > the
> > > > original message.
> > > > I actually didn't or didn't intend to write it that way but I've
> > > looked
> > > > at the message that you would have received late last night and that is
> > > what
> > > > you saw when you read the message so it makes some sense now.
> > > > I have a touchpad on my notebook which I've not yet disabled and
> > > sometimes
> > > > if my palm hits it as I type and I don't realize it my messages end up
> > as
> > > a
> > > > bit of a jumble and things are miss-aligned.
> > > > The pointer that you use a / partition of 256 mb approx and that I
> could
> > > get
> > > > away with 400 mb or so is invaluable.
> > > > This drastically changes things, but it is change for the better.
> > > > After reading your note I am wondering if a partition scheme such
> as the
> > > > following would be more appropriate? Once again I'm planning on
> > installing
> > > > the modified Red Hat 7.2 on a Pentium II 233 mhz w 64 mb of ram.
> Any and
> > > all
> > > > thoughts welcome folks.
> > > > /dev/hda is a 2 gb hd
> > > > /dev/hda1
> > > > / partition 400 mb
> > > > /dev/hda2
> > > > /usr partition 1 gb (I don't plan on installing anything from x)
> > > > /dev/hda3
> > > > /var 600 mb (very limitted mail and web and dns server capability)
> > > > /dev/hdb is a 1.6 gb hard disk
> > > > /dev/hdb1
> > > > swap partition of size 200 mb
> > > > /dev/hdb2
> > > > /tmp 400 mb
> > > > /dev/hdb3
> > > > /home remaining space on hard disk
> > > > Many thanks to all in advance.
> > > > Ed Barnes
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "Janina Sajka" <janina at afb.net>
> > > > To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
> > > > Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2002 2:03 PM
> > > > Subject: Re: choosing a distro and version
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > I don't know about the wisdom of putting swap in hda1. Sounds
> unusual to
> > > > me, put I don't know that there's actually anything wrong with that. I
> > > > just have never seen that.
> > > >
> > > > Also, it's not your /root -- but your / partition which is the
> root. 1.5
> > > > gB is undoubtedly large--try 500 mB or even less. I get away with about
> > > > 256 mB these days. Essentially, make this bigger if it includes /var,
> > and
> > > > less if /var is a separate partition, and less if /var will have
> > > > relatively little to do--no ftp, no web, only your mail, etc.
> > > >
> > > > Your note does not speak of /usr. That is very important, and will take
> > at
> > > > least 1 gB if you install nothing from X, and about 3.5 gB if you
> > install
> > > > everything in the RH 7.2 distribution.
> > > >
> > > > My advice is to let diskdruid figure out where to put things. It's good
> > at
> > > > that. Just specify the sizes and mount points. The term "Mount points,"
> > by
> > > > the way, is linux speak for things like /, and /usr, and /home, etc.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
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> > >
> > > --
> > >
> > > Janina Sajka, Director
> > > Technology Research and Development
> > > Governmental Relations Group
> > > American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
> > >
> > > Email: janina at afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175
> > >
> > > Chair, Accessibility SIG
> > > Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF)
> > > http://www.openebook.org
> > >
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> > >
> > >
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> > >
> >
> > --
> >
> > Janina Sajka, Director
> > Technology Research and Development
> > Governmental Relations Group
> > American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
> >
> > Email: janina at afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175
> >
> > Chair, Accessibility SIG
> > Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF)
> > http://www.openebook.org
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Speakup mailing list
> > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> >
> >
> >
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> >
>
>--
>
> Janina Sajka, Director
> Technology Research and Development
> Governmental Relations Group
> American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
>
>Email: janina at afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175
>
>Chair, Accessibility SIG
>Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF)
>http://www.openebook.org
>
>
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>Speakup mailing list
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