Linux partition?

[Methos_H]

I got a 20gig hard drive coming to put in a linux box. I know I have to have partition for virtual memory. So if I make like a 1g partition for that, can I just make what is left over all one partition? Then do the install on that? Will that be ok?

[linux_guru]

Sure, you can do it that way ..... but it's not ideal.

If you have 256 MB (or more) of memory, a 300 MB swap partition is enough.

I have mine layed out like this:
/ 500 MB
swap 300 MB
/usr 8 Gb
/usr/local 4 GB
/tmp 1 GB
/var 4 GB
/root 15 GB (average users should have a /home partition instead)

[Cpl_Squirrel]

Originally posted by Methos_H
I got a 20gig hard drive coming to put in a linux box. I know I have to have partition for virtual memory. So if I make like a 1g partition for that, can I just make what is left over all one partition? Then do the install on that? Will that be ok?

You know Methos, 1G of swap seems a little excessive. You can do fine with less than half that for basic home computer usage.

As for the rest of the drive, I like to at least split mine into two more partitions, one for "/" @ approx 3-5G, and the rest of the drive all for "/home" (which you can use as a storage area so you can still have your files after upgrading/installing your os on the root ("/") partition.

Other people like to break up their drive even more, setting aside another partition for "/usr/local" where software often gets installed. Personally I don't see the need to do this for mine.

Talk to 10 different people and you may get 10 different suggestions as to how to partition your drive.

At the very least though, I'd trim that swap. Hope this helps.

[Methos_H]

Ok I'm only going to be using 192mb ram, for now. But I could get away with a 300mb swap file? Then if I set up a partition for root and one for user I won't have to reinstall all my apps later if I upgrade the OS? Would it be ok to just split what is left after the swap file between the other 2 partitions?