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**verndog** · Sep 02, 2010, 04:41 PM

Re: How should I partition my hard drive for multiple Linux distros?

Here's how I did mine. All under an extended partition. It just seemed simpler to me, also I only wast one primary partition that way.

Notice they are all on the right side. I have several testing at one time so they change from time to time.

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**lcorken** · Sep 02, 2010, 05:14 PM

Re: How should I partition my hard drive for multiple Linux distros?

Different folks do this in different ways. I have several distro (linux) partitions sharing one swap and one /data partition. Each distro partition has it's own /home so it can have all it's config. files as it wants. Each distro's home has symlinks to Documents, Music, etc folders in the shared /data partition.

I have never had a problem sharing one swap partition amongst different distros.
Sharing the /data partition works fine too. Just remember to NOT format it when installing a new distro.
One thing to keep in mind is that each distro's user needs to be recognised as a valid user of /data partition.
Ubuntu/Kubuntu starts user IDs at 1000. While Fedora starts at 500.

By doing it this way I can leapfrog my Kubuntu distros. Meaning 9.10 is still active until I am convinced 10.04 will do what I want. When 10.10 is released it will likely replace 9.10. Still have other partition to play with other distros.
Works for me.
Ken.

**ccnjim** · Sep 02, 2010, 05:59 PM

Re: How should I partition my hard drive for multiple Linux distros?

Here's how I did mine. All under an extended partition.It just seemed simpler to me, also I only wast one primary partition that way.

So you've created an extended partition on your windows hdd and formatted it as ext 4 and set it as boot?.
Then you created the swap file?
Then you created / Lucid?
If so are your other distros created from unused space in /Lucid? I see Mint is the largest ext 4 distro but wouldn't / be the primary system?

Just remember to NOT format it when installing a new distro.

So based on the mess I have now. I would select an existing partition say sdd8 allocate a portion of the unused space and install a new distro there?

**lcorken** · Sep 02, 2010, 06:44 PM

Re: How should I partition my hard drive for multiple Linux distros?

I don't know how to advise you on your partitioning. Just Keep these things in mind. You likely already know but here goes.

#1: PRIME DIRECTIVE!!! BACKUP ANYTHING YOU DON'T WANT TO LOOSE. I know, that's obvious.

#2: After back-up your stuff. Linux (unlike some OSs) is easy to reinstall, screw-up, fix, have lots of fun with.

I lost track of how many times I changed the partitioning and organization of my HD. I have a back-up of all my data. So if I screw it up (and I have) it's no disaster. Each screw-up is a new learning experience.
Currently I have 5 linux partitions of 12GIG each. That works but 20G would be better. The rest of the drive is for my stuff on /data (music, photos, documents, etc).

This may not work for you, but for me it does.

Have fun
Ken.

**ccnjim** · Sep 02, 2010, 06:57 PM

Re: How should I partition my hard drive for multiple Linux distros?

I don't know how to advise you on your partitioning. Just Keep these things in mind. You likely already know but here goes.

#1: PRIME DIRECTIVE!!! BACKUP ANYTHING YOU DON'T WANT TO LOOSE. I know, that's obvious.

#2: After back-up your stuff. Linux (unlike some OSs) is easy to reinstall, screw-up, fix, have lots of fun with.

I lost track of how many times I changed the partitioning and organization of my HD. I have a back-up of all my data. So if I screw it up (and I have) it's no disaster. Each screw-up is a new learning experience.
Currently I have 5 linux partitions of 12GIG each. That works but 20G would be better. The rest of the drive is for my stuff on /data (music, photos, documents, etc).

This may not work for you, but for me it does.

Have fun
Ken.

Thanks. I've just finished backing up. I'm going to go experiment. I appreciate the comments from you guys. I understand building computers much better than running them. This is my hobby. I've tried wading through partitioning info. many times but I always find myself getting sleepy .....maybe it's the beer(s)?

**verndog** · Sep 02, 2010, 11:29 PM

Re: How should I partition my hard drive for multiple Linux distros?

Originally posted by ccnjim

So you've created an extended partition on your windows hdd and formatted it as ext 4 and set it as boot?.
Then you created the swap file?
Then you created / Lucid?
If so are your other distros created from unused space in /Lucid? I see Mint is the largest ext 4 distro but wouldn't / be the primary system?

That was an old example just to show the layout. The "/" showing for Lucid is because that is where I launched Gparted from when I took the snapshot.

All my Linux partitions have one partition and a shared swap. So root "/" is the lone partition of that distro. the reason Mint is so large is to fill up the rest of the extented partition. Sometimes I cut it up as well, depending on what I add or remove. All my Linux work is done within the extended partition.

The front 2 partitions are NTFS primaries.

edit: By the way, I use either/or Clonezilla, partclone or FSArchiver to keep backups of individual partitions. Keeping single partition makes re-install a snap. If I were running a server, which I did at one time, I would have multiple partitions for any one OS.

**oshunluvr** · Sep 03, 2010, 12:09 AM

Re: How should I partition my hard drive for multiple Linux distros?

596gb is enough for about 25 linux installs...

But lets assume 3:

I would do it this way:

partition1 swap 4gb (equal to ram in your machine)
partition2 /tmp 30gb (more or less if you do video editing or dvd creation)
partition3 - remaining space as extended
partition5 - install1 16gb
partition6 - install2 16gb
partition7 - /files whatever is left over in GB - use to store media or data, documents, whatever
partition8 - install3 16gb
partition9 - backup of main install 16gb

Here's my logic:
1) swap and /tmp might as well be shared, why waste the space? swap as partition1 is supposed to offer slight performance gain.

2) 16gb is enough for almost everything you could want in an install and leave /home in each install. Use the /files partition for shared files, rather than trying to share /home or having multibel copies of stuff. Just link /files to each /home and you're done. Install space hogging things to /files - VM's, videos, iso downloads, etc.

3) Since you have the space - leave room for a full backup of the install you like the most and use the other two for playing with. I like to have a daily use install, a back up of it, and a duplicate (but not backup) of it for testing iffy software or hacks on before I do them to my daily install, then one install (or two) totally for play time.

For a more advanced and spiffy setup consider...

...spreading swap among all drives. linux can treat multiple swaps like a RAID.

...spreading your installs among multiple drives. Nothing like a four disk RAID0 for some added speed.

...consider a dedicated grub partition to prevent a trashed install from borking your boot-ability. I use one and manually edit the config. A bit more work but waaay more secure.

Currently I have 4x400gb drives and space four eight installs and data and backups...with wasted space.

**ccnjim** · Sep 03, 2010, 10:03 PM

Re: How should I partition my hard drive for multiple Linux distros?

I think I understand this a little more. Thanks for all the help. Last night I managed to resize /dev/sdd9 and add 4 more distros in the free space. I did trash my bootloader a couple of times when I installed older versions of kubuntu/ubuntu. I couldn't boot into Lucid my main OS. So I added another Lucid install to get back into my existing version. I'm going to print all your advice so I have it available when I partition. Thanks again everybody.

**lcorken** · Sep 03, 2010, 11:05 PM

Re: How should I partition my hard drive for multiple Linux distros?

Next step:

Grub2 hell:

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3106368.0
http://grub.enbug.org/Manual

You know you are in hell when you go to one of these info pages, reach for the scroll bar and find this tiny little dot at the top of the scroll bar.

LOL.
Ken.

**ccnjim** · Sep 04, 2010, 02:44 PM

Re: How should I partition my hard drive for multiple Linux distros?

I'm going to mark this solved.

Thanks again to everybody for helping me understand how to do this. I think my biggest mistake was I was always trying to make primary partitions for every install.
oshunluvr thanks for your step by step guide I pretty much copied it.
I used GParted to do all the partitioning and then installed Lucid.

Next step:

Grub2 hell:

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3106368.0
http://grub.enbug.org/Manual

You know you are in hell when you go to one of these info pages, reach for the scroll bar and find this tiny little dot at the top of the scroll bar. Cheesy Grin Roll Eyes

After I bling up my Lucid install I'll re-read those links......before adding another distro.

Here's my /dev/sdd now:

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[solved]How should I partition my hard drive for multiple Linux distros?

[solved]How should I partition my hard drive for multiple Linux distros?

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