I am a beginner and have read a lot to date ... but not yet
done it. ;-)
I have a laptop (BIOS) with three Windows partitions: Win7 / Data-NTFS / small Fat32. Space is available for Linux.
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I plan a (Linux)
Data Partition to share docs between Linux distros. I would like freedom to add one additional Linux distro in near future.
Per above, I already have an NTFS Windows partition but that's mostly for Windows purposes. I know know I can -- and intend to -- cherry-pick (read) files from the NTFS partition but don't plan to write to it much from the Linux side.
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I understand (as a newbie) it is best not to let two distros share a common /home. But I also have heard that when you have a separate data partition it's good to keep /home under root (/).
I would love some insight, experience, advice, recommendation on any of this, *especially* as to which of the partition plans below might be best.
Currently thinking that "
B" is a slight win over "C" but your guidance is most welcomed!
[Also does placing SWAP ... then the Data Partition ... followed by the distros appear an optimal sequence? As long as sizing of SWAP and Data Partition is done well, with no future changes expected, it sounds right to me to put them in that order before the distros.]
Thanks in advance for the help. My pro/con thoughts are bulleted.
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For Linux Side of Windows7-Linux Dual-Boot:
A. Workable but *least* favorite choice:
Partition 1: SWAP (shareable)
Partition 2: DATA PARTITION
Partition 3: DistroA
Partition 4: /home for DistroA (i.e., separate home)
Partition 5: DistroB
Partition 6: /home for DistroB (i.e., separate home)
• Follows recommendations to have separate HOME partitions
• Allows for easy reinstalls
• Results in unwieldy number of total partitions [Win+Linux]
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B. Possible option - (no separate /home[s])
Partition 1: SWAP (shareable)
Partition 2: DATA PARTITION
Partition 3: DistroA with /home internally held
Partition 4: DistroB with /home internally held
• Elegant because fewer partitions
• [Con:] Makes more work at time of reinstall
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C. Central /home with sub-home-directories for each distro -->
Thoughts?
Partition 1: SWAP
Partition 2: DATA PARTITION
Partition 3: DistroA
Partition 4: DistroB
Partition 5: /home:
/home/[distroA]/[username]
/home/[distroB]/[username]
• Keeps one separate HOME partition (easy reinstalls)
• Fewer partitions; keeps Linux partitions to five.
• [Con:] Complexifies HOME partition configuration.
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