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diff --git a/en/partitioning/schemes.xml b/en/partitioning/schemes.xml new file mode 100644 index 000000000..6924cc3e7 --- /dev/null +++ b/en/partitioning/schemes.xml @@ -0,0 +1,84 @@ +<!-- retain these comments for translator revision tracking --> +<!-- $Id$ --> + + + <sect1> + <title>Recommended Partitioning Scheme</title> +<para> + +For new users, personal Debian boxes, home systems, and other +single-user setups, a single <filename>/</filename> partition (plus +swap) is probably the easiest, simplest way to go. However, if your +partition is larger than around 6GB, choose ext3 as your partition +type. Ext2 partitions need periodic file system integrity checking, +and this can cause delays during booting when the partition is large. + +</para><para> + +For multi-user systems or systems with lots of disk space, it's best +to put <filename>/usr</filename>, <filename>/var</filename>, +<filename>/tmp</filename>, and <filename>/home</filename> each on +their own partitions separate from the <filename>/</filename> +partition. + +</para><para> + +You might need a separate <filename>/usr/local</filename> partition if +you plan to install many programs that are not part of the Debian +distribution. If your machine will be a mail server, you might need +to make <filename>/var/mail</filename> a separate partition. Often, +putting <filename>/tmp</filename> on its own partition, for instance +20 to 50MB, is a good idea. If you are setting up a server with lots +of user accounts, it's generally good to have a separate, large +<filename>/home</filename> partition. In general, the partitioning +situation varies from computer to computer depending on its uses. + +</para><para> + +For very complex systems, you should see the +<ulink url="&url-multidisk-howto;"> +Multi Disk HOWTO</ulink>. This contains in-depth information, mostly +of interest to ISPs and people setting up servers. + +</para><para> + +With respect to the issue of swap partition size, there are many +views. One rule of thumb which works well is to use as much swap as +you have system memory. It also shouldn't be smaller than 16MB, in +most cases. Of course, there are exceptions to these rules. If you +are trying to solve 10000 simultaneous equations on a machine with +256MB of memory, you may need a gigabyte (or more) of swap. + +</para><para arch="m68k"> + +On the other hand, Atari Falcons and Macs feel pain when swapping, so +instead of making a large swap partition, get as much RAM as possible. + +</para><para> + +On 32-bit architectures (i386, m68k, 32-bit SPARC, and PowerPC), the +maximum size of a swap partition is 2GB. That should be enough for +nearly any installation. However, if your swap requirements are this +high, you should probably try to spread the swap across different +disks (also called <quote>spindles</quote>) and, if possible, different SCSI or +IDE channels. The kernel will balance swap usage between multiple +swap partitions, giving better performance. + +</para><para> + +As an example, an older home machine might have 32MB of RAM and a +1.7GB IDE drive on <filename>/dev/hda</filename>. There might be a +500MB partition for another operating system on +<filename>/dev/hda1</filename>, a 32MB swap partition on +<filename>/dev/hda3</filename> and about 1.2GB on +<filename>/dev/hda2</filename> as the Linux partition. + +</para><para> + +For an idea of the space taken by tasks +you might be interested in adding after your system installation is +complete, check <xref linkend="tasksel-size-list"/>. + +</para> + + </sect1> |