🚀 go-pugleaf

Edward,

There is nothing wrong with one big partition, as other users have said.
However there are some issues that do arise when thinking of installing a
new "system".

I have copied a (large) section from
http://www.infocom.cqu.edu.au/Units/aut99/85321/Resources/Print_Resources/Te
xtbook/chap10/index.html
this is part of my systems administration course that I am studying....

I hope that this helps some....

Why would you bother partitioning a disk and using different partitions for
different directories?

The reasons are numerous and include:

Separation Issues

Different directory branches should be kept on different physical partitions
for reasons including:

Certain directories will contain data that will only need to be read, others
will need to be both read and written. It is possible (and good practice) to
mount these partitions restricting such operations.

Directories including /tmp and /var/spool can fill up with files very
quickly, especially if a process becomes unstable or the system is purposely
flooded with email. This can cause problems. For example, let us assume that
the /tmp directory is on the same partition as the /home directory. If the
/tmp directory causes the partition to be filled no user will be able to
write to their /home directory, there is no space. If /tmp and /home are on
separate partitions the filling of the /tmp partition will not influence the
/home directories.

The logical division of system software, local software and home directories
all lend themselves to separate partitions

Backup Issues

These include:

Separating directories like /usr/local onto separate partitions makes the
process of an OS upgrade easier - the new OS version can be installed over
all partition except the partition that the /usr/local system exists on.
Once installation is complete the /usr/local partition can be re-attached.

The actual size of the partition can make it easier to perform backups - it
isn't as easy to backup a single 2.1 Gig partition as it is to backup four
500 Meg partitions.  This does depend on the backup medium you are using.
Some medium will handle a 2.1 Gb partition quite easily.

Performance Issues

By spreading the file system over several partitions and devices, the IO
load is spread around. It is then possible to have multiple seek operations
occurring simultaneously - this will improve the speed of the system.

While splitting the directory hierarchy over multiple partitions does
address the above issues, it isn't always that simple.  A classic example of
this is a system that contained its Web programs and data  in the /var/spool
directory.  Obviously the correct location for this type of program is the
/usr branch - probably somewhere off the /usr/local system.  The reason for
this strange location? ALL the other partitions on the system were full or
nearly full
- this was the only place left to install the software!  And the moral of
the story is?  When partitions are created for different branches of the
file hierarchy, the future needs of the system must be considered - and even
then, you won't always be able to adhere to what is "the technically
correct" location to place software.


--
Kind Regards,
*************************************
           Andrew Wedding
       Final year BIT student
  Central Queensland University
http://users.bigpond.com/awedding
*************************************
Edward COFFEY <ecoffey@ecr.mu.oz.au> wrote in message
news:371E8F4F.BB8516F1@ecr.mu.oz.au...
> I have recently started to explore Linux and I want to know how my drive
> should be partitioned.
> It is only a small free area, 800meg or so.  What is really wrong with
> having just a great big partition at / followed by the swap partition?
> Also, where do applications traditionally go?  eg.  where should I put
> the GIMP in my tree?
>