[Sussex] Partitions problems from "the nugget"

[steve at dobson.org]

Hi John

On Sat, Nov 29, 2003 at 01:00:12AM -0000, John wrote:
> I won't bore you with the "why's and how's", but I've managed to kill both
> of my linux install's. I'm v confused as to how I should re-install. What I
> would like to know is that having read/heard that the proper way of
> installing stuff is to have seperate partitions, and having tried to
> decypher the "wisdom?" from O'really's Running Linux, I have come across
> this http://linux.oreillynet.com/pub/a/linux/2001/10/11/filesystem.html
> 
> The link article suggests that I need seperate /, /usr, /home, /var and /tmp
> partitions (well that's how I read it anyway). Which is all well and good.
> But my confusion arises because I normally have mandrake and debian(knoppix
> 3.3) installed on just 2 partitions (plus the ubiquitous windows and a linux
> swap partition).

Take a look at the conclusions.  The article was written for configuing servers
not multi-boot workstations.  If you follow Luke's advice then you will need
12 partitions: five partitions for Mandrake, 5 for Debian, one common swap
partition and one more for the Windows.  There is an argument for /tmp and /home
being common to the Linux distros and that gets it back down to 10.  I still
think that this is overkill.

The most important bit in this article for you is the bit at the end of the 
"General notes" Section where it takes about head movements.  If you lay your
disk out like this

  +------------------+
  |                  |
  |                  |
  |    Windows       |
  |                  |
  +------------------+
  |      Swap        |
  +------------------+
  |                  |
  |                  |
  |    Mandrake      |
  |                  |
  +------------------+
  |                  |
  |                  |
  |    Debian        |
  |                  |
  +------------------+

then I hope you can see the point of the heads travelling over the Mandrake
partition.  Better to put the swap in the middle of those two.

Steve
-- 
Happiness is twin floppies.
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 189 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://mailman.lug.org.uk/pipermail/sussex/attachments/20031129/500d87d7/attachment.pgp