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#1 2009-06-19 22:42:17
- epsilon
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- Registered: 2009-04-02
- Posts: 75
Partitioning questions
So I understand the use of a / partition and a swap partition.
Why do I need a /home partition? What are the advantages of a /boot partition?
mu @ freenode - Last.fm
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#2 2009-06-19 22:43:32
- VoodooSteve
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- From: Vancouver, BC
- Registered: 2009-03-31
- Posts: 43
Re: Partitioning questions
A separate /home is nice so that you can reinstall your system leaving your settings and documents intact. Not exactly sure about /boot.
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#3 2009-06-19 23:28:26
- Trent
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- From: Baltimore, MD (US)
- Registered: 2009-04-16
- Posts: 990
Re: Partitioning questions
A separate /home is nice so that you can reinstall your system leaving your settings and documents intact. Not exactly sure about /boot.
A separate /boot partition is handy so you can keep your kernels and images all in one place, even for more than one distro -- for example, Arch, Ubuntu, and fill-in-your-distro-here can all share a /boot partition so you have only one menu to look at during boot. The only problem with that is that some distros *cough*ubuntu*cough* assume that they have sole control of the bootloader, so it can throw off your menu.lst when e.g. you upgrade your kernel.
You can use a /home partition with multiple simultaneous installations, too, but usually the reason I boot into other OSes is because I need to run programs I don't care to have messing with my $HOME, so I don't do that.
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#4 2009-06-20 02:33:07
- epsilon
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- Registered: 2009-04-02
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Re: Partitioning questions
I am planning to install a few other distros. If I installed, say, Arch Linux first, then Fedora, and set both to use the same /boot directory, it would save me have to set up the boot file?
Is there any way to install Ubuntu without it dominating the /boot, or what? Just wondering now, my main questions have been answered.
mu @ freenode - Last.fm
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#5 2009-06-20 11:57:31
- tricky
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- Registered: 2009-03-31
- Posts: 65
Re: Partitioning questions
I used to use Ubuntu but IMO Arch is superior due to less bugs.
Ubuntu is like Debian sid so cutting edge but buggy.
You need a swap partition whether it gets used or not.
You need a boot partition.
Your grub menu can be edited.
Your home partition can be on a remote machine if you like.
Advantages..Recoverabillity, maybe speed.
Last edited by tricky (2009-06-20 11:59:05)
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#6 2009-06-20 17:25:37
- graysky
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Re: Partitioning questions
I am planning to install a few other distros. If I installed, say, Arch Linux first, then Fedora, and set both to use the same /boot directory, it would save me have to set up the boot file?
Is there any way to install Ubuntu without it dominating the /boot, or what? Just wondering now, my main questions have been answered.
Make a separate /boot and manually manage it. When you do your linux installs, have the installers put grub on the same partition as the install - you can manually manage your /boot/grub/menu.lst from the partition you setup. Make an entry to chainload the native linux grub or use a full grub line to the distro, whatever you want.
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