[NTLUG:Discuss] Installation learning curve

[david]

Richard Geoffrion wrote:
> david wrote:
>   
>> <snipping a part to which I am not responding (trimming the post)>
>> As for partitioning I go with: 5-10G /, 
>>     
> <inline posting :) >
> Hm..  Giving reasons why you are only assigning 5/10 gig for a root 
> partition...and keeping everything on that one partition might be in 
> order.  I have heard that there are many issues that can be mitigated by 
> separating out /tmp, /usr/local, /var into their own partitions.  For 
> instance, one could mount /tmp with the noexec option for extra security.
>
> Oh, and I would be left with a full root partition if I kept all but 
> /home on it.
>
>
>   
On a multi user system providing multiple services I do agree, on a 
single (or two) user
desktop system I feel this is just overkill and possibly a little 
overwhelming for someone
who just recently decided to try Linux.

Output from df -h on my box that has been running for over two years.
Can't imagine how you are filling it up. Even if I had not created a 
/var partition my / would still be less then 50%.
[raw at morpheus:~]df -h
Filesystem            Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/hda1             9.7G  3.5G  5.7G  39% /
/dev/hda8              61G   37G   24G  62% /home
/dev/hda7              20G  838M   18G   5% /var

This particular drive has a /tars dir on /dev/hda8 under /home

>> 2G swap (drive space is cheap 
>> why not use it)
>>   
>>     
> Waste not, want not.   Some argue that providing unnecessary swap space 
> causing more paging to disk and degrades system performance.  I remember 
> reading an article somewhere that discussed the issue of swap partitions 
> in today's multi-gigabyte or RAM systems.    I'll try to find it.  
>
> OR MAYBE SOMEONE HERE KNOWS OF THE SWAP SPACE ARTICLE???
>   
Remastering your brand new install suggests a 2G swap. If you never 
remaster and have
2G of RAM then this is probably not necessary, only MY personal suggestion.
>   
>> and the remaining free space can be allotted to /home. I prefer to 
>> divide the remaider like this:
>> 2/3 goes to /home and the final 1/3 to /tars. 
>>     
> 1/3 can't go to /tars cuz you already  allotted the remainder to /home   
> (now I'm just nitpicking!!!) :)
>   
I think you skimmed over that last part... but managed to snip it correctly.
First I suggest what would be a good fit for a new user - give the 
remaining space to /home.
"I prefer" means I, personally, would split the remaining space INTO 
SEPERATE PARTITIONS.
Just "my" way, not trying to imply that it is the only way or even the 
right way....just a way.

Most newbie guides I read say /, /swap, and /home. Try to remember these 
recommendations
are for "NEW" Linux users. Most of them do not even have multiple 
partitions on their Windows drive.
Maybe you have seen 120G C: drives? Hope that clears up any muddy info 
from my previous post.