Optimize Partition Layout for Speed

duke11235 · 2009-10-14 02:50:35

In fedora I think I had a /boot /home and /swap.

I want to optimize this for speed. So arch recommends a /var, with ReiserFS filesystem, a /root, a /boot and a /home. Everything except /var will be ext4, as grub2 is a necessity for me anyway. Is that best for speed? On my tripleboot system I'll give it 15GB Most files/media stored on mac. How should I divide the 15gb space in to
partitions?

EDIT: Does Arch support hfs+ write, I know it can read.

Last edited by duke11235 (2009-10-14 02:57:36)

Ranguvar · 2009-10-14 03:04:01

I would go with ext4 for /var, too. ReiserFS may have a slight edge over ext4 with small files like what's typically in /var, but ext4 seems to be faster overall, is better supported (will be most common filesystem, right now ext3 is), will simplify your partioning, etc... and Arch puts big files in /var anyways, the Pacman cache

And it's not whether Arch supports HFS+ write, that's Linux itself. The answer is yes, but only for non-journaled HFS+. As a convoluted hack you could run Windows in a VM, use software in Windows to do HFS+ writes, use your virtual machine to give Windows raw access to the HFS+ partition, and then send files from Linux to the VM via the virtual machine's tools, to the partition. xD I'm not sure if there's $0 software to write to journaled HFS+ under Windows... I know MacDrive ($50) works.

duke11235 · 2009-10-14 04:11:11

So, I'll use ext4 for all of them. How big should I make the file systems, I've got 15GB?

Does the Arch installer have the ability to install grub2? Can I browse the internet from it?(Someone said I could with a console based browser.)

Last edited by duke11235 (2009-10-14 04:17:33)

Inxsible · 2009-10-14 04:21:11

duke11235 wrote:

So, I'll use ext4 for all of them. How big should I make the file systems, I've got 15GB?

Does the Arch installer have the ability to install grub2? Can I browse the internet from it?(Someone said I could with a console based browser.)

AFAIK, the latest Arch release does not have grub2 by default. you can surely install it after getting your system up. BTW, Arch has patched Grub1 to be able to handle booting from ext4 -- if that was the only reason you wanted Grub2

And yes, after you install Arch -- and if you configure your network correctly, you can access the internet. that's how you will update your system. So you can surely download and install any CLI browser like links-2, lynx or the like and surf the internet

Last edited by Inxsible (2009-10-14 04:22:32)

duke11235 · 2009-10-14 04:29:51

I'm using grub 2 so I can pack my /boot in one lvm group with my other encrypted partitions. I don't think that grub will even work. I was asking if I could install grub2 through the netinstall becaus eif the answer is no, I'll probably have to create a live cd.

Still, how should i size the parititions of /boot /home /var and swap? I assume a /tmp is not needed?

Inxsible · 2009-10-14 05:05:52

duke11235 wrote:

I'm using grub 2 so I can pack my /boot in one lvm group with my other encrypted partitions. I don't think that grub will even work. I was asking if I could install grub2 through the netinstall becaus eif the answer is no, I'll probably have to create a live cd.
Still, how should i size the parititions of /boot /home /var and swap? I assume a /tmp is not needed?

/boot -- 32 -64MB -- depending on how many linux OSes you plan to boot from the same /boot.
/var -- 2.5GB -- this size can reduce if you are diligent about doing a pacman -Sc every now and again which cleans up all the uninstalled packages. Obviously you should be careful while doing that ..in case an update doesn't work and you have to go back a version.
/ -- 3.5GB
swap -- 2x times RAM, but max of 1GB. If you have 1GB+ RAM, a swap of more than 1GB rarely gets used and is waste of space IMHO.
/home -- rest of the drive

I have a 30GB HDD on my 10 yr old lappy...and I have double of the sizes that I gave you above.

Last edited by Inxsible (2009-10-14 05:14:38)

duke11235 · 2009-10-14 05:13:32

It said for hibernation the swap would need at least equal to my ram.(I have 2gb) Is that true?

Inxsible · 2009-10-14 05:15:13

duke11235 wrote:

It said for hibernation the swap would need at least equal to my ram.(I have 2gb) Is that true?

If you plan to hibernate then yes, you will need 2x RAM (you always need more than your RAM -- atleast a little more - maybe 1.5 times- since you have to account for other things like bad sectors/damaged sectors etc. as well) as your swap space. I should have mentioned that earlier

Last edited by Inxsible (2009-10-14 05:17:14)

duke11235 · 2009-10-18 17:00:13

Are applications installed in the /root or in /home? I'll probably be using most of my space with games and perhaps some downloads. I think I'll now have 10 more GB to play with. Thank you

*david_a* · 2009-10-18 18:27:50

Applications are not installed in /home unless you decide to do that yourself. Therefore, if you plan to have a huge amount of applications due to games, you would need the extra room to be in root. However, your normal downloads would go into /home.

perbh · 2009-10-19 05:18:01

IMHO - if you are somewhat short of diskspace (which you _are_ with only 15 gigs), you are only making problems for yourself by trying to split it up in to several partitions. Just lump it all under / (possibly with a seperate /boot if you so desire) and ofcourse a swap-partition.

gog · 2009-10-19 05:52:50

The default compression size for hibernation is 512 megs. You dont need 2 gigs of swap to hibernate, even if you have 2 gigs of ram

Arch Linux

#1 2009-10-14 02:50:35

Optimize Partition Layout for Speed

#2 2009-10-14 03:04:01

Re: Optimize Partition Layout for Speed

#3 2009-10-14 04:11:11

Re: Optimize Partition Layout for Speed

#4 2009-10-14 04:21:11

Re: Optimize Partition Layout for Speed

#5 2009-10-14 04:29:51

Re: Optimize Partition Layout for Speed

#6 2009-10-14 05:05:52

Re: Optimize Partition Layout for Speed

#7 2009-10-14 05:13:32

Re: Optimize Partition Layout for Speed

#8 2009-10-14 05:15:13

Re: Optimize Partition Layout for Speed

#9 2009-10-18 17:00:13

Re: Optimize Partition Layout for Speed

#10 2009-10-18 18:27:50

Re: Optimize Partition Layout for Speed

#11 2009-10-19 05:18:01

Re: Optimize Partition Layout for Speed

#12 2009-10-19 05:52:50

Re: Optimize Partition Layout for Speed

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