manual install ubuntu 9.04

[tigertim71]

I'd like to manual install Ubuntu with XP sharing the HDD.

Now, I'm a little confused as some people install dividing into: "/" and "swap" only. Others do this with: "/", "/home" and "swap".

Is there any advantage to creating an extra "/home" partition and what happens if I don't?

Also if I install VirtualBox will the application be stored in "/" or "/home"?

Thanks

[Segfault]

Having separate /home protects the system. For instance, if the hard drive gets filled up. Or when filesystem gets corrupted due to power outage. That said, just go without /home if you don't know how much you need for /.
VirtualBox images will be in /home.

[MikeTbob]

I created a /home partition several years ago and have since installed many different flavors of Linux but I have never needed to create a new one or format that one /home partition. It's like my little safe deposit box. Think of all the stuff you have downloaded in the past 6 months, that's probably a lot of stuff you have accumulated and you probably don't want to lose it, by creating a /home partition you will have a safe place to keep your stuff, so that next time you install Linux you won't have to backup or re-create it.
If you don't create it, nothing will happen. Linux will create it for you and it will be in the same place ( /home) but it will be on the / partition and if the / partition gets screwed up in some way then you'll need to manually backup everything you want to save from the /home directory. If you had already created a /home partition then you could just delete/repair the / partition without fear of losing data on the /home partition.

[teenytinylinuxgrl]

That /home partition is a wonderful idea! Because you might do a whole new installation when Koalabear comes out. When you do, simply select /home and UNCHECK the Format box when you install it and all your e-mail settings, folders, Firefox favorites, pictures, music, love letters and whatever won't be lost (back up anyway just in case!). You lose programs, but not all your personal stuff.

Amy
(who was told she shouldn't sign her posts like letters... "Love, Amy")

[Segfault]

I was forgotten there are such things as different distros one may want to try out! (Probably because I've found mine.) Anyway, you have to make sure your user always has the same UID.

[MikeTbob]

I was forgotten there are such things as different distros one may want to try out! (Probably because I've found mine.) Anyway, you have to make sure your user always has the same UID.

Or create a unique username for each distro.

[tigertim71]

Thanks for these responses....

Then in a normal Ubuntu install would this make sense? (I have about 70GB spare on the HDD and will want to use VirtualBox for trying out new distros):

/ : 20GB
/home : 49GB
swap : 1024MB

[MikeTbob]

Thanks for these responses....

Then in a normal Ubuntu install would this make sense? (I have about 70GB spare on the HDD and will want to use VirtualBox for trying out new distros):

/ : 20GB
/home : 49GB
swap : 1024MB

Looks good to me!

[reed9]

I just want to mention that even if you have a separate home partition, you should still back up all your files before doing a new install. Though I've never had something go wrong during the install, it's certainly possible. Well, scratch that, I did have things go wrong once, when I accidentally formatted my home partition during an install. Anyway, back up.

Out of curiosity, 20 GB for the root partition? That seems like a lot to me. My current install takes about 4 GB, and I don't think I've broken 10 GB even with a full KDE 4.2 install and extras. I mean, you don't want to push right up to the limit, but jeez, is that how big people are usually making their / partition?

[MikeTbob]

I just want to mention that even if you have a separate home partition, you should still back up all your files before doing a new install. Though I've never had something go wrong during the install, it's certainly possible. Well, scratch that, I did have things go wrong once, when I accidentally formatted my home partition during an install. Anyway, back up.

Out of curiosity, 20 GB for the root partition? That seems like a lot to me. My current install takes about 4 GB, and I don't think I've broken 10 GB even with a full KDE 4.2 install and extras. I mean, you don't want to push right up to the limit, but jeez, is that how big people are usually making their / partition?

Mine is only 10 Gb with a 500 MB swap, 6 GB being used on a KDE 4 install on Gentoo.