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| Thread ID: 59165 | 2005-06-23 17:43:00 | Wish to give Linux a try, what are the steps? | Renmoo (66) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 366569 | 2005-06-25 02:05:00 | For a 10GB disk, you should allocate it thus, in this order from the outside in: "/" - 150MB, swap - 600MB, etc - 200MB, var - 200MB, usr - 5GB, home - the balance of the disk.What are half of these partitions, and what is there purpose? | Myth (110) | ||
| 366570 | 2005-06-25 02:10:00 | Very good guy*s, I too have nearly plucked up enough courage to give it a go. However, yet another question. Can Knoppix and or Morphix handle old DOS programmes? No. But I recommend FreeDOS (www.freedos.org). It is thought to run every DOS program you can think of. And it is open source, just like linux. Do Linux programmes stand-alone or have they followed the windows path? Most linux applications do not stand alone. Configuration files are kept in /etc (all as human-readable text files though), and are linked to libraries and such. |
vinref (6194) | ||
| 366571 | 2005-06-25 02:22:00 | What are half of these partitions, and what is there purpose? The "/" holds the system files and the kernel (but not in some distros!). These are read during the booting process and that's it. They are never added to or modified, except during installation. Hence it should be protected andmade read-on. On my system, I won't even allow journalling on it. If it is damaged, you will need to boot with a rescue disk. The swap partition should be enough to accomodate all the applications you would normally use, or the whole of the ram, whichever is greater. For Mepis, I reckon a nice round figure of 600MB is enough. During a system crash, the ram will dump its contents (the "core") into the swap for later analysis, so the swap need to big enough to accomodate this. The /var partition stores logfiles, mail spools, print spools etc. It has a tendency to grow, and I hope Mepis has a mechanism to regularly flush the logs. If not, the log files may grow to damage anything else that's cooped up with it - especally "/". /etc is where all configuration files are kept for system tools and user applications. You edit the configuration files to alter the behavious of applications and system tools. /usr is where your application binaries go. When you install, say, Firefox, the binary goes in here and the configuration stuff goes into /etc. /home is where you store your ill-gotten mp3s. |
vinref (6194) | ||
| 366572 | 2005-06-25 02:36:00 | I've just returned from my town's local Dick and Smith shop. One lady told me that they do not have stock for such OS as "Mepis" (seems that she does not know anything about Mepis). The closest name is Memphix or something like that. They are selling it for 10 bucks ($9.87). Anyone live in South Auckland? (Howick, to be specific) Cheers :) |
Renmoo (66) | ||
| 366573 | 2005-06-25 02:41:00 | If people here actually read the original question you will (I think) find that Jameskan actually wants to use WinXP as the main operating system and also wants to install a version of Linux on one hard drive. Probably dual boot with *A* version of Linux and WinXP. It may be helpful if all the Linux peple here can show Him/Her how to keep all the data already on the hard drive and partition the one hard drive to dual boot WinXP home and your favourite version of Linux. The way I see it is that Linux will need 3 - 4 partions on a hard drive. WinXP will need one at least. Actually, I didn't know that you can boot a Linux OS from a CD until you people mentioned it. I thought it is a compulsory that OS must be installed on a machine before being used. Also, I specially emphasised on I want to try out Linux distro. My family members are used to GUI OS or simple user interface such as Xp. They think that Linux is meant for software developers and alike. Cheers :) |
Renmoo (66) | ||
| 366574 | 2005-06-25 02:48:00 | Eh? "/" is the root of the whole system tree . It contains a number of subsidiary areas: /boot is included in most recent distributions . It contains the kernel binary, and the grub boot manager . It's read-only in normal operation, and is often given its own small partition . /bin contains most of the user accessible commands . /sbin contains many commands meant for use by the system administrator ("root") . /usr is meant for programmes and commands not part of the basic system . . . usually locally added, but also the big /usr/X11 tree: the "X Window" system which lets you use a GUI . Some user-added proghrammes will go to /usr/share or /usr/option . There are more system type things in /usr/bin and /usr/sbin . /var contains log files and various bits and pieces . /usr, /bin, /sbin can be read-only; /var is frequently written to . There should be a cron . daily and cron . weekly "scheduled" process to purge the log files . /home contains the user home directories, and any sub directories added by the users . This is usually a separate partition . /mnt is a place holder tree . It has sub directories such as /mnt/cdrom, /mnt/floppy, /mnt/removable . . . These are mount points . They are places in the file system where removable media are mounted so they can be used in the system . /etc holds the configuration files . The places which things are put for various system and user things are not always consistent . I would not give "/" 150 MB . :groan: That is not going to work . Unless you install something like one of the 5 x floppy mini-linuxes which install in a 20MB area on a DOS disk . ;) Mandrake gave "/" 2GB in its automatic partioning for me once . I had to make another 100 MB partition and move the /usr/X11 stuff to it to make that system usable . |
Graham L (2) | ||
| 366575 | 2005-06-25 03:14:00 | Eh? "/" is the root of the whole system tree. It contains a number of subsidiary areas: I was wondering when you or Chill would pick up on this confusing aspect. Yes, "/" is the root of the whole tree [b]as a directory structure[b]. But as a physical disk partition, it can be and should be separated, away from the likes of /var, /usr et cetera. When you deliberately create partitions for /var, /etc, /usr, /home (the minimal in my mind), the installer sees this and puts whatever you have not explicitly defined separately, in with "/" . This is usually "/boot", /bin, /dev, etc. These should be read-only until you have a good reason to modify them. Form the Mepis site, it says that the minimum disk space needed is 2.5GB. That, and from my experience, 150MB for the "/" partition is more than enough. I don't know how obese linux distros have become, but it cannot possibly require GBs. |
vinref (6194) | ||
| 366576 | 2005-06-25 03:33:00 | Most users should allow the installer to partition the disk . New users should always let the installer do this . There's enough mistakes to make on your own without doing that . There is no real reason to separate "/" from the essential system subtrees . It is the root . I prefer a big bucket to plant a tree in, so the roots can wriggle their fingers . There are good reasons to physically separate some subtrees from "/" . But you must have /bin , /sbin, /lib, for the system to run at all . If /sbin and /lib and /etc probably /dev (at least) aren't part of the physical / partition, you haven't got mount, nor the dynamic libraries to mount them . It's best not to advise new users to do tricky things like deciding how to partition the disk . The default partitioning will give them a working system . I prefer to let the developers know best unless I know they are wrong . ;) (I make a /cdrom because I don't like /mnt/cdrom, but that's my personal preference) . 150 MB for the root partition is not enough . That's not distributionobesity . My problem with a 2MB / was real . That's because of stuff I added . That stuff went into /usr . . . . Thus the / partition became too small . The /home partition "automatic" size was far too big . I don't put huge MP3 files in it . :) It was empty, and the / partition was too small . |
Graham L (2) | ||
| 366577 | 2005-06-25 03:33:00 | Thanks Graham and Vinref, that clears it up a bit more for me. I am interested in one thing, I know Knoppix is a live cd and therefore loads into memory. I also know it has a partitioning tool. Is this partitioning tool non-destructive when resizing (like Partition Magic). I use Fedora Core 4... What size should these partitions be: /, /var, /etc, /tmp? As mentioned before, I have linux on a 10GB / partition, a 1GB swap, and 20+ GB /home; as well as a 20GB vfat all on an 80GB harddrive. How should I repartition the drive? |
Myth (110) | ||
| 366578 | 2005-06-25 03:37:00 | Mythix: It works? So don't fix it. | Graham L (2) | ||
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