Recommended partitioning

I want to dual boot windows 7 and ubuntu. I have 186gb of space. Half will go to ubuntu and the other half will go to Windows 7, but I found out you can create multiple partitions that do different things on the ubuntu installation. I want to partition it manually. In the partitioning part of the setup on the ubuntu cd, there are multiple types like SWAP, FAT32, EXT3, etc. And there's stuff like "/", "/home", "/root", etc. I'm really new to this so anyone have any recommendations to how I should set up the partition? Just ask me if you need more info.

I'm going to install windows 7 first then shrink the volume by half. Then I'll proceed to installing Ubuntu with your recommendation.

 

To what i know is that Win7 is going to start shutting itself down from next year March onwards, then till June you will have to make it valid as an operating system by buying Microsoft O.S installer.
Hence, if you're installing Ubuntu as a temporary Operating System for trying out purpose, i suggest that you use the Ubuntu integration application, Wubi, just in case you're not going to keep the current Win7 from next year onwards.
I have no idea does Wubi works with Win7 or not.

If you're opting for a full separate install without using the integration application, you'll be require to do modification to the MBR, which is(i.m.o) not easy for newbie to understand.

 

I don't know if it is the best way or not, but I usually make a separate partition for / and /home. Make one of them an extended partition so you can add a logical swap partition if you want to use hibernation. You do not have to have a swap if you do not want it.

By making / and /home on different partitions, you can change distros without losing your data.

You do not need to choose where to put the other things unless you want to. The Ubuntu installer will do it for you.

Definately install windows 7 first and then Ubuntu. Ubuntu will overwrite the MBR for you and install Grub automatically so that you can choose which system you want to boot into.

Once you have ubuntu installed, download startup manager. It is a simple program that will help you configure GRUB without having to use the command line. It has an easy to use interface and you can set the default boot OS, the time it waits before choosing the default boot, etc.

It sounds like you have already done some homework so you are probably set to get started. Hope you enjoy playing with Ubuntu.

 

Here's a good site I found via google. http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/partitioning

The first partition will be Windows 7. The second partition will be Ubuntu (ext4) /home - shared data. The third partition will be Ubuntu (ext4) /. Fourth partition will be Swap.

So basically the first partition will install Windows 7 as normal. The second partition sits in between the two OS so both OS can access this partition (without having to reboot into different OS), and it also contains all my personal stuff, and won't be affected if I reinstall the OS. The third partition installs Ubuntu itself. The fourth partition serves as virtual memory. Is this correct? I'm not sure about the second partition. I want this partition to be accessible to both OS. I don't know what File System I should choose. Should I let Windows Read/Write to/from a Linux native file system or vice versa?

 

I wouldn't encourage you to use ext4 for the second partition, if i'm not wrong, Windows does not recognize filing format of other types except fat16, fat32 and NTFS.
On your 3rd partition, which is your Linux O.S. It is rather suggestible that you use ext3 which is currently far more stable than ext4- still may buggy at this stage until the release of next updated kernel.

 

DO NOT USE EXT4, YOU WILL HAVE DATA LOSS IF THERE IS A LOSS OF POWER. YOU WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE A POWER OUTAGE AND WISH YOU HAD USED EXT3. THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME TWO DAYS AGO.

 

Thanks for the heads up! Will go with ext3.

In regards to the second partition. Should I let windows access Linux's native file systems (ext3) or should I let Linux access Window's native file system (NTFS)? I want to see my personal files in both OS without having to switch back and forth. And as you've guessed, Linux can't read/write to NTFS nor can Windows read/write to Ext3 by default. Special kernel drivers are required for this to happen. Is it a good idea?

Alternatively I can go with FAT32 as its recognized by both OS, but that would mean I'd have to make 5 partitions, and I like it to be fewer. What are your thoughts?

 

I guess you were working on a desktop?
Or was the notebook battery removed/empty?

 

Fat32 would be a hell of a lot slower, Ubuntu can read/write NTFS and with a special free program Windows can read ext3. I dunno where you got that misconception but you're wrong.

Using a desktop.

 

Ok thanks! Do I have to install ntfs-3g onto Ubuntu or can Ubuntu do this already?

Question: Besides personal files (music, pictures, documents, etc.) where do installed applications and software go? In the main OS partition or in /home?

 

Ubuntu can already read/write to NTFS, you don't need the app as far as I know. Your personal files go in /home along with the software settings. The actual software goes in the / partition.

 

You may want to read an article on the Linux file system (the directory layout, I mean). That one helped me figure it all out. I also found a good map of the way things are laid out.

By default, anything a package manager installs will go into the main partition. Anything you install without a package manager will go into a user directory under /home.

 

Thanks! Wow there's so many types of directories, it's confusing. What's necessary to have? Is it possible to create a partition that stores all your installed software and applications? I don't want to have to reinstall all of them again if I reformat the OS.

After researching a bit more into the various distros, I came across distros that are dedicated to multimedia production (I want one dedicated to music and audio production)!! So far I've looked into Ubuntu Studio, Musix GNU/Linux, JackLab Audio, and 64 Studio. Any other multimedia music/audio distros you guys suggest? I'll mutliboot and try them all out.

Oh and here's an update on my partitions layout.

1. Windows 7 [NTFS] - Primary
2. Shared Data [NTFS] - Primary
3. All Linux partitions, Swap - Extended

I'll add another partition when someone confirms it's possible to install programs in it's own partition.

 

Having Linux on Extended AFAIK will make it a little less priority and thus a little less quick. I suggest you just make a shortcut to your files and folder on W7 in Linux to keep less partitions. And put linux on a primary and swap on an extended. I suggest you go with Ubuntu Studio, AFAIK it's the best for what you wanna do. I might not make too much sense because I'm typing with a guitar in my arms.

 

Its quite simple actually.
/home is like Documents & Settings. This is where you will put your data and settings (and typically not want to reformat over reinstalls.
/ is the rest - temp files, and OS install (it can be subdivided further if you wish).

Reinstalling programs on linux is a breeze compared to windows. You just select what programs you want to install from a central repository and bam things will magically get installed, including any dependencies you may have missed.

I also arrange the partitions so that the OS partition is on the fastest part of the HDD (the lowest number sectors --- corresponding to the outermost tracks).
So my partition scheme is like:
40GB: windows
10GB: /
20GB: /home
80GB: /scratch
80GB: NTFS
3GB: swap

I've kept / and /home in fast parts of the HDD (since settings are also accesses often). /scratch is just a partition to store user data in linux
The 80GB NTFS partition is again a data partition for windows, and also acts as a go inbetween liinux and windows.

 

Is that so / Never heard of this before..

 

Isn't that the reason for having extended and primary partitions?

 

Oh I forgot to mention I'll be trying multiple Linux distros and doing so will exceed the limit for primary. For now I have to make it extended so I can try them all out. Once I've narrow it down, I'll make it primary.

I'd rather keep my personal files on a unique partition because if I reinstall Windows 7 or Linux, everything will go with it (too lazy to back up my stuff when it's time to reformat). So it's better if it's in its own safe haven.

 

I'm confused What's the difference between the /home, /scratch, and NTFS partitions then? I thought /home contains user data and settings. The NTFS partition also contains user data and settings and can be accessed by several OS. Then you say /scratch, which is user data for linux. All user data and settings. Aren't they the samething?

 

I'm sorry, I was not clear.
/home is the default directory where user data is kept. Like when you log in, your desktop setting etc will be kept there. In Windows parlance, its "Desktop & Settings" directory. This directory is where the OS will look for your custom settings. You will also store data there.
/scratch is just a directory I've made up on a seperate partition for speed issues. For example, in windows, you may create a seperate partition from C; and call it D:
You can store data in both C:/documents and settings, and also in D:
Similarly here. There is nothing special about /scratch unlike /home which has a special meaning to OS (like C:/documents and settings) You can call /scratch something else, like /data; or omit it completely if you're not terribly concerned about every last bit of speed. But /home will always be there.

I keep /home, /scratch etc to be ext3 so that windows cannot write to it. I specifically want it this way as I dont want my linux partitions to be vulnerable to windows viruses.
The last NTFS partition is again a data partition (mainly for windows), a D: partition. It serves as a speed increasing hack, and also serves as a place where you can write to in linux in case you want to transfer something over to windows.

 

No, its legacy restriction:
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/file/structPartitions-c.html
http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/in...ition-vs-primary-performance-differences.html

 

Ah much clearer. Thanks for the explanation.

How do you burn multiple distros on one DVD? Can't have it go to waste...

 

Ok I just installed my second hard drive (old) and it seems to have other partitions in it already besides the main partition. This is what I currently have in the Disk Management setup. Disk 0 runs faster than disk 1 fyi.

Disk 0 (186.31gb): Windows 7 (76.30gb) [primary], Linux Ubuntu (14.30gb) [primary], /home (38.15gb) [primary], Swap (3.81gb) [extended], Unallocated (53.75gb) (reserved for more linux distros).

Disk 1 (149.05gb): OEM Partition (110mb) [primary], RECOVERY (10gb) [Primary], Shared Data (136.44gb) [Primary-NTFS], MediaDirect (2.50gb) [Primary]


The partition sizes, who gets primary or extended, and which disk the partition should fall under are subject to change once I try out all my picked distros.

 

I have another problem on my hands. I want to create a menu structure that lists all OS installed without being associated with a distro. Uninstalling a distro removes the grub bootloader and it's a hassle of having to reinstall it. I need to place grub in some kind of boot partition where it won't be affected by other distros.

 

FAT32? Years ago that was true....maybe you've read some old literature. /home is part of the linux filesystem, and you'll have to use a linux filesystem for that....share other on your Win 7 partition, but keep a separate /home.

 

I'm done with the layout. I've gained a lot of knowledge these past weeks. I got two distros up and running along with Windows 7 (going to add more distros later). I currently have a large shared data partition in NTFS that I can use in between Windows and Linux. A /home partition (ext3) that can only be accessed by Linux.

As for my two questions that I've posted above, I've solved it already.