For the command dd if=/tmp/slackware64-14.1-install-dvd.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=1M I know that when I put my USB in it is /dev/sbd1 or something like that. So would i change the sdX in that command to /dev/sbd1? Probably a dumb question, but I just want to make sure I have an understanding before I work on it tonight

There are a lot of reasons, but it really depends on your usage. You may want /tmp and/or /var on separate partitions, so if you happen to fill either of those, it doesn't harm anything else (a faulty program could create a ton of temp files or massive logs ultimately filling the partition they reside on). Also, you may want to have your htdocs root on a different partition if you're hosting webpages to ensure they remain separate from the OS. /boot needs to be a separate partition if you use lvm/luks. Depending on how you store your music/videos/pictures, you may want them on a separate partition (or even separate drive). If you install a lot of software in /usr/local, you could have that be a separate partition from /usr so you can easily separate your custom programs from your stock programs. Some like to have /home be a separate partition so they can easily hose the installation but still retain all their stuff.

There's a ton of ways to utilize Linux's flexible partitioning. Some, including me, tend to go for a fairly basic setup (I just have swap, /root, and /home, with additional media drives holding my TV Shows and Movies that are served over NFS to my htpc), but there are others who like to have very strict controls over how big certain folders can get and to prevent any one of them from breaking the system if it gets filled.

That's why I saw it is always better for users to start with basic partitions, then once they're more familiar with how they use their system, they can then decide if it is worth it to try an alternative partitioning scheme.

You won't specify the partition on the drive (the number at the end of the device), since the dd command replaces the whole filesystem. So in your case, it would be:

Awesome thank you Bassmadrigal. Today is D-day I will see how big of a war it will be installing it.

So based on what im working with, do you think I could get away with 5gb for swap and whatever I have left over for root?

I still have trouble understanding the numbers.

harddrive: 320GB 5,400rpm
Memory: 3GB, 1,333MHz DDR3

You indicate you have 3GB of RAM so 2-4GB for swap should be more than enough for a general user.

Create the root filesystem partition first (not necessary but) since swap is useless if you don't have the filesystem. On current Linux operating systems with full installs, 15-25GB for the root filesystem, 2-4GB for swap and use the rest to store personal data. You can easily create these partitions after the install.

Got it. Thanks! So since I have 320gb hard drive is that where the 15-25gb is coming from?

Just a general assumption. Slackware full install is a little over 9 GB according to the installer so 15-25 GB would leave you some wiggle space for installing other programs and such.

Personally my 320 GB HDD is set up like this:

/ 30 GB
swap 8 GB
/data 200 GB
/mirror 60 GB

YMMV

I keep /home on my / partition and use /data for all my files (music, documents, etc) that way when I reinstall or something happens I can have a full clean install and not lose anything.

Thanks Skaendo. This may be another ignorant question but in order to make data partition do I name it when creating the partition in cfdisk? I did not see data as an option when choosing type.

Personally, I would go larger than 15-25GB for your root partition since it'll give you more wiggle room in case you decide to start installing a lot of software. I use 22GB just in my /usr directory. I would probably go with a minimum of 50GB if you're willing to occasionally clear out your /tmp folder (as that is where all packages from SBo are built and saved) or 100GB if you're lazy (I certainly am). I currently have 37GB in my /tmp (I'm a digital packrat) and have a total of 67GB of my 100GB used on my root partition.

In all actuality, you really only need swap and root partitions. If you intend to hibernate the laptop, add the size of your RAM to whatever swap you plan on using. In your case, 2GB of swap + 3GB for hibernation seems like a decent starting amount. Then you could just leave everything else for you root partition, although, many (including me) like to have /home on a separate partition. /home is basically where all your files will be saved, and having it as a separate partition could be beneficial in some recovery/installation scenarios.

Because you have a 320GB drive and it is likely you won't use nearly all of it, personally, I would probably do:

5GB - swap
100GB - / (root partition)
remaining (~215GB) - /home

2 members found this post helpful.

Partitions are handled a little differently in Linux than Windows. In cfdisk, you would just specify the filesystem type (linux or linux swap, depending on what partition you're creating), then, once formatted, any additional partitions (outside of the root and swap) would be linked to certain folders within the root filesystem.

So, if you have a partition you intend to use for /home, when the installer asks you to add additional partitions, you would just write the mountpoint (what folder you want it at) in the installer.

I'm using 6 GB for the filesystem and 2 GB for the swap partition (running in VirtualBox because I can't afford another computer), but I'm not installing the GUI in this installation. To install everything, you need at least 8 GB hard drives space, as it says in the installer.

Very helpful! Thank you both. Now I get the mounting of /home. I have been re-watching install videos. I never have partitioned before so last time i tried i failed. Last question here hopefully. When I am assigning the space can I use GB or do I have to use KB? seems like in all the videos they have it in KB. Do i convert them or just put for example 50GB for root and be done with it

If you are doing it from the installer, then you can tell it to make your partition size in GB like this:

1 members found this post helpful.

It's been a while since I've partitioned, but most partitioning tools will allow you to specify your size followed with an M, G, T (for megabyte, gigabyte, and terabyte, respectively).

1 members found this post helpful.