Partitioning advice [Solved]

[Iprovidence]

I think my goal is to have around 20g of space allocated for distros, 2g for swap, and the rest for programs that remain untampered with when i'm ready to try anew DE or distro.
Is this setup conducive to that goal?
Is there a better recommendation?
It is an ssd if that matters

Thanks

[Pierre]

that 20Gb is big enough to Test some Linux Distro, ( to see what it is like )
but, it is not big enough for any daily use, though.
- if you plan to use any of them, for daily use, then that Linux Distro should be given 50Gb for more . .
and this one Linux Distro would be for programs that remain untampered with when you to try any other DEs or distro.

[pbear]

A 2GB swap file implies that's the amount of RAM you have available. If true, that's going to be a much more limiting factor in the success of your various trials than whatever partitioning scheme you choose.

Also, I don't see the point of installing twenty-plus distros (at 20GB each) if you're not going to install any apps in them. You can play around with the default apps, of course, but you could do that with a MultiBoot USB. Hence, Pierre's recommendation of 50GB per distro. And that's not taking account of data files. Of which speaking, I don't know where your personal files are - maybe another hard drive on the same machine - but I'd set up a single Data partition on this drive shared by all the installed systems. Easy enough to sync that partition with the (presumed) other drive.

[Flemur]

I think my goal is to have around 20g of space allocated for distros

That's what I use - data (mp3s, movies, and such) is elsewhere. Plenty of room for Mint 18.2 (=~5G).

rest for programs that remain untampered with when i'm ready to try anew DE or distro.

"programs that remain untampered with" = ???

Normal installation of programs is to certain areas of your OS installation. It's fairly unusual to "install" a program elsewhere, though it is possible.

[kukamuumuka]

I have 30 to 40 GB for / and rest for /home. Swap-partition about 2 to 5 GB depending on computer.

[Mattyboy]

Rule of thumb.

Set your Root / partition to something like 20GB... that's about 8GB for a vanilla install plus.
Match your swap partition with the amount of RAM installed in your computer.
Set your /Home to whatever size you wish.
Set a Data partition to whatever size you wish.

I think most people set data partitions as the largest on their single drives

Unlike, say Windows, you cannot install 'programs' into a defined directory. Linux dosen't work like that and spreads files over multiple directory/folder locations.

If you're testing different distros there's no need to install them as all can be live booted and tested before you decide which one to actually install. Or installed in a virtual machine for 'advanced testing' with persistence.

[Termy]

that 20Gb is big enough to Test some Linux Distro, ( to see what it is like )
but, it is not big enough for any daily use, though.
- if you plan to use any of them, for daily use, then that Linux Distro should be given 50Gb for more . .
and this one Linux Distro would be for programs that remain untampered with when you to try any other DEs or distro.

A sweeping statement like that is ... well, sweeping. For example, I use Linux daily, exclusively, and am using 4GB on root, and 1.7GB on home, with a 4GB tmpfs. Broadly speaking, Linux doesn't tend to need much, especially when compared to Windows, as I'm sure you know, but it really depends on the user's needs and usecase.

I think 20GB is a good size if your main file load will be on an external HDD, for example. If I remember correctly, a standard Mint install will be anywhere from 5-7GB on root, excluding whatever you use with temp. If you don't have the RAM to throw into tmpfs, then perhaps add on 10-12GB for /tmp, if you're doing things like video editing or editing in audacity, which can use a surprising amount.

The reason nobody can really ever settle on questions like these, IMO, is because it's up to the user. It's like me asking the guy across the street what food I should get at the shop; he doesn't know what I like, how hungry I am, whether I have any allergies, whether I'm on a diet, etc; these are variables I'm best to figure process myself. Not the best analogy, but it's the best I have.

[Seadreamer]

I have been multibooting three Linux distros and Windows 7 for several years with one Home partition. Each Linux distro is in a separate partition of about 20 GB each. Windows is about 256 GB and is mostly games. /Home is about 156 GB. I have never had any problem with Mint or Ubunto sharing a home partition. I tried to install Debain once and it messed up Home so caution is advised depending on which distro is installed. Different Desktop Managers for Mint or Ubunto have never bothered anything.

I would advise you to use a different /home for anything that is not ubuntu based.

[Iprovidence]

Thanks to everyone who responded. Awesome!

Your responses have pointed out two things,
1 - I obviously don't really understand how this all works (partitioning)
2 - I should have asked for advice from another angle, which i will do this go around

I am only using my laptop for web surfing and Plex media server (and very rarely, really only to sync up my music to Ipod)
I have two ssd's in my laptop and after some accidental tinkering i ended up with this

This setup so far works and I feel "safe" with it and so now i have another ssd waiting. So now these are my uses at the moment, and the only thing I care about is when I decide to explore new Linux distros or desktop enviroments (which will be a good minute) that my Plex settings wont be messed with. So how do I accomplish that?

[Mattyboy]

Install virtual box from the software manager. Point its installer to any downloaded ISO that you wish to test. You can install them in the virtual environment or just test in a live environment. ( plenty of tutorials on youtube )

https://www.virtualbox.org/

No need to be installing another version of Linux on your SSD. However if you decide to actually install a different distro/environment that's a 'start again scenario'.

[Pierre]

that 20Gb is big enough to Test some Linux Distro, ( to see what it is like )
but, it is not big enough for any daily use, though.
- if you plan to use any of them, for daily use, then that Linux Distro should be given 50Gb for more . .
and this one Linux Distro would be for programs that remain untampered with when you to try any other DEs or distro.

A sweeping statement like that is ... well, sweeping. For example, I use Linux daily, exclusively, and am using 4GB on root, and 1.7GB on home, with a 4GB tmpfs. Broadly speaking, Linux doesn't tend to need much, especially when compared to Windows, as I'm sure you know, but it really depends on the user's needs and usecase.

well .. .. let me put it this way:
In the past, I've used 40Gb HDDs and run Three Linux Systems on that,
with them each having about 12Gb each, but that machine wasn't used for much,
and also wasn't my main machine, as that one had a 20Gb HDD in it, and just Two Linux Systems to use.
plus, back then, I've often was running a separate /home & separate / root - - and still do use that partition method.

but, the issue is, that if you start to use those PCs over an extended time of daily use,
then the amount of Old Kernels, will start to build up, as does in the various system log's.
& so you will eventually run out of space - - typically on the / root partition.

even on my PCs in use today, there is often a 10 - 15Gb for / root and 20 - 50Gb for /home,
and this is on an PC that is in daily use & does get all of those updates, that come along.

as well as that, one of those Linux Systems, will also have a Virtual Box setup,
to try out some other Linux Systems, and yet another one of those Linux Systems, will have a ./wine setup, too.
so, it does get a bit crowded, when trying to keep all of that stuff on just the one drive.

which is also why, most of those VBs & ./wine bottles - - are backed up, because of some previous HDD crash.

[Iprovidence]

Thanks I think I have at staring point from here. Appreciate the help

[Hoser Rob]

... and the rest for programs that remain untampered with when i'm ready to try anew DE or distro....

You mean your Linux program software? If so the thing with that is that you cannot count on the one that works in Mint will work in another distro.

[Termy]

well .. .. let me put it this way:
In the past, I've used 40Gb HDDs and run Three Linux Systems on that,
with them each having about 12Gb each, but that machine wasn't used for much,
and also wasn't my main machine, as that one had a 20Gb HDD in it, and just Two Linux Systems to use.
plus, back then, I've often was running a separate /home & separate / root - - and still do use that partition method.

but, the issue is, that if you start to use those PCs over an extended time of daily use,
then the amount of Old Kernels, will start to build up, as does in the various system log's.
& so you will eventually run out of space - - typically on the / root partition.

even on my PCs in use today, there is often a 10 - 15Gb for / root and 20 - 50Gb for /home,
and this is on an PC that is in daily use & does get all of those updates, that come along.

as well as that, one of those Linux Systems, will also have a Virtual Box setup,
to try out some other Linux Systems, and yet another one of those Linux Systems, will have a ./wine setup, too.
so, it does get a bit crowded, when trying to keep all of that stuff on just the one drive.

which is also why, most of those VBs & ./wine bottles - - are backed up, because of some previous HDD crash.

Fair enough. I don't hold a load of old kernel versions though. I've got roks if I want to hold a bunch and clear some out. All I really need is one version, so I keep one installed; the version I'm using. (I realise that method isn't for everyone) When I remove a program/package, I remove it fully, so I don't have to worry about packages taking up crap tons of space.

My VB stuff is stored on separate drive, since I don't want to be backing aaaall of that up all the time. xD I think it's a good idea to have things you will frequently need (music you actually listen to, documents, pictures, etc) in home, and, if possible, the rest in a different drive (preferably external), with hopefully a separate drive still, for backups. I'm kinda paranoid -- I've lost too much data over the years!