Partitioning for Linux
 

I've searched a few threads and done the Googling bit on partitioning for Linux (+ XP), but Google particularly seems to have old info: suppose you have a new machine with 64Mb RAM... Advice varies wildly.

I'm running XP (512Mb RAM) on a single partition of 160Gb, of which about 14Gb has been used. Personal stuff is kept in a separate directory, backed up onto a second HDD (8Gb total) with two partitions, and further backed-up to CD (paranoid or what? :cool:)

Come the day I wish to dual boot with SimplyMEPIS or Mandriva for example (lots of live distro testing at the moment), what's the considered opinion on dividing up the remaining 140Gb, in what order, use HDD2 for the swap, or what?

Advice gratefully received. :)

Many thanks.

if you use a partition in the second hardisk for swap it will be a very good idea because you will be preventing any future bottleneck when your work gets huge, and your access to your swap partition gets frequent.
I recommend to choose your second HDD as a place to create your swap partition when installing any Linux.
best regards.

i would recommend using an LVM scenario, so everything (bar /boot if you wish) would simply sit inside a single partition divided up as you see fit.

A very smart idea to use LVM scenario to prevent any future need to copy your old partitions an then repartition bigger ones and then copy back old data to the newly created bigger partitions. by using LVM all you need is to add new (HDD/partitions) to the (Logical Volume management) Volume Group and you are done, I even recommend building an LVM over software RAID to be safe from frequently happend IDE controller failures :) I used to return home many nights to find that my LVM over software RAID (level 1) has saved me a guaranteed lost of all my data (my ide data cables gets loos frequently), you will need at least two HDDs to use in software Raid 1, and in this scenario your swap partition can also be created usin g RAID (level 1) to be safe from any (one HDD) failures.

Many thanks so far: if I go for 512Mb swap on the second HDD, then it's a case of anything I want on the big drive (Fat32?) Is there a minimum size for root recommended with modern distros, or will gparted offer suggestions? 140Gb is still a lot of space (my first PC was 40Mb with quarter Mb RAM!) How we've moved on.

if you decide to use LVM you just but all the 140 GB into the LVM Volume Group and then create different mount points for ( "/" "/root" "/var" "/usr" "/home" .....ETC)
you do not have to worry about any thing, In case you want to add/delete/resize any of these mount points it will be a matter of reading the LVM HOWTO to learn how to achieve what you want ( no repartitioning ) will be needed, and that is the advantage of using LVM.

the average i would use is 100mb for /boot, but other than that there is no minimum for / just don't be stingey. this is exactly where LVM triumphs though... just make it bigger in the management interface whenever you feel like it. no repartitioning at all.