HELP-LMDE 3 New Installation Optimum Patirionng Setup?

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fallendaemon

HELP-LMDE 3 New Installation Optimum Patirionng Setup?

Post by fallendaemon »

Hello, I have been using Linux mint for a year now and am interested in using LMDE 3 on my desktop. I have a 1TB HD and 10 GB of ram. As the Linux Mint 18 & 19 have automatic partitioning during setup along with the option for LVM which I prefer to use if not counter-indicated for this distribution of Linux, I am at a loss for how to partition my HD for this installation. My interests with this system are to test out/experiment with many different software and have 3-4 different operating systems testing in a VirtualBox Environment. So I want to set it up for the heaviest/optimal use in its portioning possible. Any other suggestions will be much appreciated here. And while I know my way around GParted OK, I don't know Linux well, so a step-by-sep would be a boon for me. Side question, why doesn't this distro have the same automatic partitioning setup as the standard Linux Mint/Ubuntu style does? Thanks, Jeff
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srq2625

Re: HELP-LMDE 3 New Installation Optimum Patirionng Setup?

Post by srq2625 »

fallendaemon wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 7:35 pmSo I want to set it up for the heaviest/optimal use in its portioning possible. Any other suggestions will be much appreciated here. And while I know my way around GParted OK, I don't know Linux well, so a step-by-sep would be a boon for me.
I would, given your stated objectives, do the following:
  1. Backup any user data you want to keep to external media/disk
  2. Create a new partition table - gpt
  3. Create 4 partitions:
    1. /swap ==> about 10GB
    2. / ==> about 50GB
    3. /home ==> about 5GB
    4. /Data ==> the balance, mounted at /mnt/Data
  4. Install LMDE per normal, but use the above partitions, don't let the installer do it's own thing
  5. Create symlinks in your $(USER) folder to folders you create in /Data
  6. Recover your data that you backed up in step #1, writing it to /Data
fallendaemon wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 7:35 pmSide question, why doesn't this distro have the same automatic partitioning setup as the standard Linux Mint/Ubuntu style does?
The short answer is that LMDE isn't LM/Ubuntu.

A more complete answer might be that LMDE has it's roots in Debian, a distro that is better suited to those that don't need a lot of hand-holding. Additionally, LMDE doesn't get quite the same amount of love and TLC that is given to LM. LMDE is a fallback position should something happen with upstream Ubuntu that Clem et. al. would find objectionable and/or if Ubuntu should "disappear" from the GNU/Linux landscape.
tlcmd

Re: HELP-LMDE 3 New Installation Optimum Patirionng Setup?

Post by tlcmd »

Just read the above post. Have successfully backed up my files, etc. Now ready to install LMDE3 as soon as power is restored to the homes of the "family refugees" we are housing following the high winds and torrential rains from Michael since their power is still out. Greensboro, N.C.

QUESTION RE; PARTITIONING LMDE3: I will put LMDE3 next to my Windows 10 partition, but I use LMDE over 99% of time.

WHAT IS THE BEST ORDER TO PLACE THE 4 PARTITIONS YOU OUTLINED IN YOUR REPLY ON THIS POST?

Thanks,
tlcmd
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axisofevil
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Re: HELP-LMDE 3 New Installation Optimum Patirionng Setup?

Post by axisofevil »

You won't notice the difference where you put the partitions, unless you making exceptionally heavy use of the disk.
I tend to put /swap far away as it probably won't get any use if you have 10GB of RAM.

Why are you are only putting 5GB (is that right?) in /home and creating symlinks into /data.
You could just have a big /home directory and forget the symlinking - unless there is a very special reason for this.
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Re: HELP-LMDE 3 New Installation Optimum Patirionng Setup?

Post by catweazel »

fallendaemon wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 7:35 pm I have a 1TB HD and 10 GB of ram.
You're likely to never need swap unless you plan to hibernate the machine.
"There is, ultimately, only one truth -- cogito, ergo sum -- everything else is an assumption." - Me, my swansong.
tlcmd

Re: HELP-LMDE 3 New Installation Optimum Patirionng Setup?

Post by tlcmd »

Arg625:
More help and probably more dumb questions. Apreciate your patience.Am getting ready for my 4th or 5th install on LMDE3 since all the rest are screwed up and have a few simple questions:
I have 1.3 TB reserved for LMDE3. I notice you suggest 4 partitions

swap: to which I will assign 12 Gigs since I already have 12 Gigs of Ram.
/: how much space would you dedicate here?
Home: recommended space?
Data: what would a "data" partition be used for? I though Home was for files and / for programs including LMDE3.

Where would you put grub?

Thank you (remember I have a quad core Athlon chip, 12 Gigs of ram and 1.3 TB to put LMDE3 in.

Again, thanks for the help
tlcmd
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axisofevil
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Re: HELP-LMDE 3 New Installation Optimum Patirionng Setup?

Post by axisofevil »

I have a 4 core processor, 8GB & 2 x 1TB disks (so a little bit over-specified).
I do have a / partition which includes nearly all subdirectories for system programs etc
I have a 4GB swap partition - but it rarely gets more than 2MB in it.
/home contains several users and all user written scripts, data files, documents etc
/home is about 200GB but could be bigger.
Extra partitions are useful for some extra organisation - but very few symlinks!
I have an extra partition of about 600GB solely for storing videos.
Additionally, I do backup /home to a separate partition of about 150GB, using a differential backup method.
[ This is not secure and it does get copied to external storage ]

But really, you choose your own configuration.
When it asks where you want to boot from you just give it the disk it should boot from.
The install will handle the proper placing of the grub software.
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BG405
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Re: HELP-LMDE 3 New Installation Optimum Patirionng Setup?

Post by BG405 »

What I'd do in your case is have partitions like the following:
  • 12.5GB swap
    To make sure there's enough in case you need to hibernate the system.
  • 50GB /
    This should be sufficient for all the software you're likely to need; hopefully flatpaks etc. too.
  • 25GB /home
    This would mainly be used to store your settings, current documents and data for projects you are working on; this should allow sufficient space for temporary files e.g. video editing.
  • Balance for /DATA or whatever you want to call it, usually mounted under /mnt/
    Used for more permanent storage e.g. video and music collections, finished projects, photos etc.. This can be left as-is during subsequent reinstallations.
This is pretty much how I set my systems up (I've been using 25GB / which is sufficient for me), although I also have seperate /efi (for future use) and separate 512MB /boot, which is periodically cleared of old kernels.

Hope this is of some use. :)
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Toshiba NB250 - Manjaro KDE------------------------Acer Aspire One D255E - LM21.3 Xfce
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tlcmd

Re: HELP-LMDE 3 New Installation Optimum Patirionng Setup?

Post by tlcmd »

BG406,
Thanks. Dumb Doc has Hopefully only 3 more "Mickey Mouse" questions:
1) I have over 40 Gigs of music files plus other basic files from pictures to old radio shows. How do I know or tell LMDE3 to put them into the DATA partition?
2) Which is the preferred partition in which to install Grub?
3) With 1.3 TB for LMDE3, why limit HOME to 25 GB and why even set up a huge DATA partition when HOME would also (I assume) be a permanent storage for the . video and music collections, finished projects, photos etc.

Obviously, I want to do a fair job on this next install of LMDE3 as well as UNDERSTAND the rational for the difference between the HOME and DATA partitions. I will be backing up from a external HDD (Verbatim).

Thanks for your patience and assistance.

tlcmd
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Re: HELP-LMDE 3 New Installation Optimum Patirionng Setup?

Post by sdibaja »

tlcmd wrote: Fri Oct 19, 2018 4:24 pm BG406,
Thanks. Dumb Doc has Hopefully only 3 more "Mickey Mouse" questions:
1) I have over 40 Gigs of music files plus other basic files from pictures to old radio shows. How do I know or tell LMDE3 to put them into the DATA partition?
2) Which is the preferred partition in which to install Grub?
3) With 1.3 TB for LMDE3, why limit HOME to 25 GB and why even set up a huge DATA partition when HOME would also (I assume) be a permanent storage for the . video and music collections, finished projects, photos etc.

Obviously, I want to do a fair job on this next install of LMDE3 as well as UNDERSTAND the rational for the difference between the HOME and DATA partitions. I will be backing up from a external HDD (Verbatim).

Thanks for your patience and assistance.

tlcmd
Sir you should make 3 separate new posts for each of your 3 questions. Here in the comments on another person's post is unlikely to be read and answered.
3 separate new posts
Thanks
Peter
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Moem
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Re: HELP-LMDE 3 New Installation Optimum Patirionng Setup?

Post by Moem »

sdibaja wrote: Fri Oct 19, 2018 5:53 pm Sir you should make 3 separate new posts for each of your 3 questions. Here in the comments on another person's post is unlikely to be read and answered.
As a moderator I agree. In fact, It was a bad idea to hijack the post in the first, place and it should definitely not be continuted. We generally split such hijacks off into separate topic if we catch them in time, but it's really a lot better if everyone sticks with the simple rule as outlined in the guidelines: a new question deserves a new topic.
Thanks for understanding.
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If your issue is solved, kindly indicate that by editing the first post in the topic, and adding [SOLVED] to the title. Thanks!
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BG405
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Re: HELP-LMDE 3 New Installation Optimum Patirionng Setup?

Post by BG405 »

I agree too. Let's hope that the OP fallendaemon finds useful info in this thread & hasn't been put off by the distractions! I'm sure that does happen sometimes.

I see new threads have been started, so I'll exit this one until the OP replies. :)
Dell Inspiron 1525 - LM17.3 CE 64-------------------Lenovo T440 - Manjaro KDE with Mint VMs
Toshiba NB250 - Manjaro KDE------------------------Acer Aspire One D255E - LM21.3 Xfce
Acer Aspire E11 ES1-111M - LM18.2 KDE 64 ----Two ROMS don't make a WRITE
jglen490

Re: HELP-LMDE 3 New Installation Optimum Patirionng Setup?

Post by jglen490 »

srq2625 wrote: Wed Oct 03, 2018 6:10 am
fallendaemon wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 7:35 pmSo I want to set it up for the heaviest/optimal use in its portioning possible. Any other suggestions will be much appreciated here. And while I know my way around GParted OK, I don't know Linux well, so a step-by-sep would be a boon for me.
I would, given your stated objectives, do the following:
  1. Backup any user data you want to keep to external media/disk
  2. Create a new partition table - gpt
  3. Create 4 partitions:
    1. /swap ==> about 10GB
    2. / ==> about 50GB
    3. /home ==> about 5GB
    4. /Data ==> the balance, mounted at /mnt/Data
  4. Install LMDE per normal, but use the above partitions, don't let the installer do it's own thing
  5. Create symlinks in your $(USER) folder to folders you create in /Data
  6. Recover your data that you backed up in step #1, writing it to /Data
fallendaemon wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 7:35 pmSide question, why doesn't this distro have the same automatic partitioning setup as the standard Linux Mint/Ubuntu style does?
The short answer is that LMDE isn't LM/Ubuntu.

A more complete answer might be that LMDE has it's roots in Debian, a distro that is better suited to those that don't need a lot of hand-holding. Additionally, LMDE doesn't get quite the same amount of love and TLC that is given to LM. LMDE is a fallback position should something happen with upstream Ubuntu that Clem et. al. would find objectionable and/or if Ubuntu should "disappear" from the GNU/Linux landscape.
Why would you create a /Data partition that is separate from the /Home partition and then create symlinks back to /Home/<user>? Especially when you create yet another mount point at /mnt?

If /Data is on the same physical drive, or even if it isn't, just make it a separate partition but under the /Home directory structure and then you have a single point of reference for backing up and restoring all your user data.
srq2625

Re: HELP-LMDE 3 New Installation Optimum Patirionng Setup?

Post by srq2625 »

jglen490 wrote: Tue Nov 13, 2018 5:57 pmWhy would you create a /Data partition that is separate from the /Home partition and then create symlinks back to /Home/<user>? Especially when you create yet another mount point at /mnt?

If /Data is on the same physical drive, or even if it isn't, just make it a separate partition but under the /Home directory structure and then you have a single point of reference for backing up and restoring all your user data.
Making a separate partition and mounting it in /mnt facilitates the possibility of multiple users.
jglen490

Re: HELP-LMDE 3 New Installation Optimum Patirionng Setup?

Post by jglen490 »

As does /home/Data ...

Plus, it will be possible to back up all of /home in one package.

Nobody's required to do that, but it does present some advantages.
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