[GTALUG] New Desktop PC -- debian Linux - Proposed 2 TB HDD Partitioning;
Giles Orr
gilesorr at gmail.com
Wed Apr 11 17:55:50 EDT 2018
On 11 April 2018 at 11:12, Lennart Sorensen via talk <talk at gtalug.org>
wrote:
> On Wed, Apr 11, 2018 at 09:58:05AM -0400, Steve Petrie, P.Eng. via talk
> wrote:
> > Warm Greetings To GTALUG Members,
> >
> > This coming weekend (Friday 13 April 2018) I will be building my new
> desktop PC with the help of my friend who has built quite a few PCs for his
> employer.
> >
> > The new PC will be running debian Linux and will soon take over duties
> from an ancient Dell desktop PC running Windows XP (acquired new in March
> 2005)..
> >
> > I will post the final hardware configuration on PCPartPicker once the
> new PC is operational.
> >
> > * * *
> > * * *
> >
> > Meanwhile, I would like to ask GTALUG members please to itake a look at
> the partitioning configuraiton I am proposing for the 2 TB Western Digital
> HDD (best to stretch your email client window to defeat word wrap):
> > ==> *** STANDARD LINUX ***
> >
> > /device partition
> >
> > ==> linux normal boot #1: (current active version of linux os, will be
> recycled for next version)
> > /dev/sda1 gpt001 ext2 ??? /boot
> > /dev/sda2 gpt002 ext3 50 / (root), /bin, /dev, /etc,
> /initrd, /lib, sbin
> >
> > ==> linux normal boot #2: (next version of linux os, will become
> current version)
> > /dev/sda1 gpt003 ext2 ??? /boot
> > /dev/sda2 gpt004 ext3 50 / (root), /bin, /dev, /etc,
> /initrd, /lib, sbin
> >
> > ==> linux rescue boot:
> > /dev/sda1 gpt005 ext2 ??? /boot
> > /dev/sda2 gpt006 ext3 50 / (root), /bin, /dev, /etc,
> /initrd, /lib, sbin
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------------------------
> > 150 GB + 3X boot
> >
> > ==> linux temporary:
> > /dev/sda3 gpt103 ext4 64 (swap1)
> > /dev/sda4 gpt104 ext4 64 (swap2)
> > /dev/sda5 gpt105 ext4 64 (swap3)
> > /dev/sda6 gpt106 ext4 200 /tmp
> > -------------------------------------------------
> > 392 GB
> >
> > ==> linux permanent:
> > /dev/sda7 gpt207 ext4 100 /var
> > /dev/sda8 gpt208 ext4 100 /usr
> >
> > ==> linux user permanent:
> > /dev/sda9 gpt309 ext4 100 /usr/local
> > /dev/sda10 gpt310 ext4 100 /home
> > ----------------------------------------------------
> > 400 GB
> >
> >
> > ==> *** USER-DEFINED ***
> >
> > /dev/sda51 gpt551..557 ext4 75X7 /!_d ... /!_j (current,
> clone winxp partition structure, allow for growth)
> > /dev/sda52 gpt599 ext4 70 /!~dell (WinXP archive C..J:
> ../winxp_c .. ../winxp_j (WinXP archive C..J))
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> > 595 GB
> >
> > ==> other operating systems:
> > /dev/sda61 gpt661 ext4 ??? /._win7 virtualized
> windows 7
> > /dev/sda62 gpt662 ext4 ??? /._win7_1
> > /dev/sda63 gpt663 ext4 ??? /._dfly virtualized
> dragonflybsd
> > /dev/sda64 gpt664 ext4 ??? /._dfly_1
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> ----------------
> > ??? GB
> >
> > ==> ssd partitions:
> > /dev/sda71 gpt771 ext4 -- /.~ssd01 (ssd partition) |
> total ssd
> > /dev/sda72 gpt772 ext4 -- /.~ssd02 (ssd partition) |
> capacity
> > /dev/sda73 gpt773 ext4 -- /.~ssd03 (ssd partition)
> | 256 GB
> > --------- --------- ---- -----
> -----------------------------------------------
> > N/A GB
> >
> > ==> allocated: 1537 GB (+ 3x boot)
> > ==> unallocated: + 463 GB (- 3x boot)
> > --------- --------- ---- -----
> -----------------------------------------------
> > ==> Total HDD Capacity: 2000 GB
> > Note 1: Please be aware that I am a complete Linux newbie but with a
> software engineering background.
> >
> > Note 2: Hoping to be able to swap back and forth between an "active"
> version of Linux and the "next" version of Linux, by switching the roles of
> partitions (gpt001, gpt002) <==> (gpt003,gpt004) .
> >
> > Note 3: Please be aware that I intend to maintain most of my
> user-related content in the seven (7) partitions gpt551..gpt557
> >
> > * * *
> > * * *
> >
> > Comments, criticisms, questions welcome.
>
> Do you actually work on your computer or do you spend all day shuffling
> bits of old OSs around?
>
> Where is the UEFI boot partition?
>
> I would never waste time or space on a rescue boot. I have USB keys
> for that.
>
> I keep one OS linux installed and maintained. I have never had a problem
> upgrading that needed a reinstall. My Debian 2.0 install lasted until
> 486 support was dropped from Debian. I forget what version that
> eventually was. I keep one windows install. I can't imagine a benefit
> of doing anything more complex and can think of a ton of reasons not to
> have more.
>
> As for virtualized, disk images are simpler and lets you thrown them
> all one one partition. Sure raw partitions can have slight performance
> benefits, but are a lot less flexible. If you want the performance and
> flexibility, use LVM not partitions.
>
> Why is there any ext3 involved? I can understand ext2 for a small boot
> partition, but can't think of any good reason to use ext3 for anything
> these days. ext4 is just better now.
>
I'm with Len - simplify if you can. Although Unlike him, I believe you
should have at least two (Linux) OS partitions - if one is messed up, you
can boot from the other to fix it. And I've also - more than once - had to
tinker with two OSes (usually Debian vs. Fedora) to figure out which worked
best on a particular machine. So I always have at least two OS
partitions. And in the name of simplicity, each OS partition includes its
own /var, /usr, /usr/local ... the only separate partitions are swap and
/home, because I want that to be separate and accessible to each of the OS
partitions - and separate and not affected by OS upgrades. These days it
seems you want a /boot partition though - but I'm not the one to explain
the ins and outs of that.
As Len suggested - and particularly since it sounds like you're going to do
a lot of partition tinkering - use LVM. It's a pain in the ass to get your
head around (new terminology and a lot of commands), but it offers a great
deal of flexibility that you don't get with raw partitions.
--
Giles
https://www.gilesorr.com/
gilesorr at gmail.com
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