partitioning scheme
 

hey all!

I've been toying around with linux for awhile...I am most definately still a newbie though! Anyway...I have spent quite a lot of time cleaning up my windows setup and all of my hordes of data. I am ready to install (once again) and setup gentoo on my box.

Any recommendations for a partitioning scheme?

I have an 80 gb and a 200gb. Right now my 200 is full of data, and my 80 has a (fairly) clean install of xp pro on it. I have used, and really come to like, gentoo. I will become my primary os, but I plan to keep xp pro for the occassional, definately unfortunate, use. I think I will drop my ntfs partition down to 25 gigs. I figure 32megs for /boot, and 1gb for the swap partition...but what about the rest? Is it worth setting up a scheme that gives a few directories their own mount point? I've read about various schemes for gaming, mail, and web servers...but not really much about the regular home user. I use portage a lot and compile all of my programs; I think I once read somewhere that while something is being compiled...portage uses a temporary folder /var/tmp/portage, and that, if on a separate partition, it would be wise to give /var some room. I am security conscious, and heard putting /home on its own partition is a good start for security. I don't share my computer with anyone, so there's no multiuser environment to worry about. I use my computer for all the everyday stuff, papers, web, a little gaming, programming, music...as well as little video/audio editing/creating, and my engineering applications like pro engineer and that sort of thing. Eventually I'd like to use linux for everything.

Should my boot partition be at the beginning of the disk? Right now xp pro occupies the disk...I was planning to shrink it down, but should I move it to a different section of the disk as well?

I use grub, but I know lilo and grub install to the mbr, but the /boot partition is mostly for holding the kernel(s) you may have. You should consider using another distro...mandrake makes it easy to use and you don't learn how an operating system (and computer) really works.

Also, the 200 gb is going to be my data drive for sure, though eventually I'd ilke to have it be a linux partition. I haven't decided if I'd leave a small "swapping" partition or not. I would definately copy files from within linux, and linux has ntfs support. I don't really care about going the other way. I'm only keeping windows installed b.c (this is truly sad) in the stuff i do, i really need to have windows available...for just in case. Well anyway...I don't really trust windows partitions, ESPECIALLY fat32. How stable is ext3...I'm thinking of using that for my data drive (eventually)....I mean I know you are never completely safe from your hd failing on you or losing a partition or something of the sort...

anyone think /home or other main directories should be on their own partition?

I appreciate any input and comments :-) and apologize for the lengthy post...I believe it's better to give a solid background, it avoids going back and forth....


Thanks!

until you get a better reply

1) if you have a working gentoo assume each folder is a partition and note its data size thru KDE I use properties in its filemanager.
this is then your guide to NON HOME NON OPT folders or partitions........I tend to use opt to install software rather than home but personal choice

2) the /boot partitiion is always installed before the others unless you are lazy and have only a swap and /
3) if you will compile lots of kernels consider 100 megs.
4) have a read of quota and see if you need it if you have more than yourself on the computer.
5) you can have lots of separate /data partiitions and no-one cares if they are on different drives but if you use 2 drives it helps (me) to have 2 swaps and I have read someone who has a swap at the outside and the inside of the disk
6) you may want to consider a linux imaging program while you are still young, its helped me. www.partimage.org and its on knoppix or sysresccd cds
7) if /var is a concern for you leave it on / as a sub-folder and make / bigger and see if that helps.
8) try reading or posting at gentoo forums I am sure they can give better advice I only answered as you mentioned grub and I try to reply to these when I can.

I appreciate your advice :-)

I have made a post in the gentoo forums. I have found it helpful hearing different people's advice, it gives me the opportunity to pick and choose options (often things that I hadn't thought of) that apply to me and work best. Thanks!