Scribd
Upload
312 views6 pages

Understanding Linux Disk Partitions

A partition divides a hard drive into logical drives. It is a contiguous set of blocks treated as an independent disk. A partition table relates sections of the hard drive to partitions. Multiple partitions reduce the risk of system failure if a partition becomes full and encapsulate data so file system corruption is local to a partition. Partitions have fields like device, start, end, size, type and mount point. Common filesystem types are ext2, ext3, swap and vfat. The recommended partitioning scheme separates partitions for /boot, /, /var, /home and applications. Partition devices are identified by disk type like /dev/hda1.

Uploaded by

Ankur Singh
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
312 views6 pages

Understanding Linux Disk Partitions

A partition divides a hard drive into logical drives. It is a contiguous set of blocks treated as an independent disk. A partition table relates sections of the hard drive to partitions. Multiple partitions reduce the risk of system failure if a partition becomes full and encapsulate data so file system corruption is local to a partition. Partitions have fields like device, start, end, size, type and mount point. Common filesystem types are ext2, ext3, swap and vfat. The recommended partitioning scheme separates partitions for /boot, /, /var, /home and applications. Partition devices are identified by disk type like /dev/hda1.

Uploaded by

Ankur Singh
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Linux Installation

What is a Partition?

• Partitioning is a means to divide a single hard drive


into many logical drives.
• A partition is a contiguous set of blocks on a drive
that are treated as an independent disk.
• A partition table is an index that relates sections of
the hard drive to partitions.
Linux Installation
Why have multiple partitions?

• Reduce the risk of system failure in case a partition


becomes full. Runaway processes or maniacal users
can consume so much disk space that the operating
system no longer has room on the hard drive for its
bookkeeping operations. This will lead to disaster. By
segregating space, you ensure that things other than
the operating system die when allocated disk space
is exhausted.
• Encapsulate your data. Since file system corruption
is local to a partition, you stand to lose only some of
your data if an accident occurs.
Linux Installation
Partition Fields
• Device: This field displays the partition's device name.
• Start: This field shows the sector on your hard drive where the
partition begins.
• End: This field shows the sector on your hard drive where the
partition ends.
• Size: This field shows the partition's size (in MB).
• Type: This field shows the partition's type (for example, ext2,
ext3, or vfat).
• Mount Point: A mount point is the location within the directory
hierarchy at which a volume exists; the volume is "mounted" at
this location. This field indicates where the partition will be
mounted.
Linux Installation
Filesystem Types

• ext2 — An ext2 filesystem supports standard Unix file


types (regular files, directories, symbolic links, etc). It
provides the ability to assign long file names, up to 255
characters. Versions prior to Red Hat Linux 7.2 used ext2
filesystems by default.
• ext3 — The ext3 filesystem is based on the ext2
filesystem and has one main advantage — journaling.
Using a journaling filesystem reduces time spent
recovering a filesystem after a crash as there is no need
to fsck the filesystem.
• swap — Swap partitions are used to support virtual
memory. In other words, data is written to a swap
partition when there is not enough RAM to store the data
your system is processing.
• vfat — The VFAT filesystem is a Linux filesystem that is
Linux Installation
Recommended Partitioning
Scheme
Unless you have a reason for doing otherwise, it is recommended
that you create the following partitions:
• /boot partition – contains kernel images and grub
configuration and commands
• / partition
• /var partition
• /home partition 
• Any other partition based on application (e.g /usr/local for
squid)
• swap partition — swap partitions are used to support virtual
memory. In other words, data is written to a swap partition
when there is not enough RAM to store the data your system
is processing. The size of your swap partition should be equal
to twice your computer's RAM.
Linux Installation
Disk Partition

• IDE Disk Partitions


o /dev/hda (Primary Master Disk)
 /dev/hda1 (First Primary Partition)
 /dev/hda2 (Second Primary Partition)
o /dev/hdb (Primary Slave Partition)
 /dev/hdb1
o /dev/hdc (Secondary Master/Slave Partition)
 /dev/hdc1
• SCSI Disk Partitions
o /dev/sda1, /dev/sda2
o /dev/sdb1, /dev/sdb2
o /dev/sdc1, /dev/sdc2

You might also like