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**dibl** · Aug 12, 2011, 02:30 PM

Re: New Build with V-Box.....

The general wisdom is to keep important data separate from your OS, so that rule says you need 3 partitions minimum: /, swap, and data. How you implement the data partition varies -- many people mount it on /home in the Linux filesystem. I personally prefer to make data folders on it, like MUSIC, IMAGES, DOCS, VIDEOS, etc., and then mount the partition on a /mnt/DATA mount point, and symlink the data folders in to my /home/user folder. That way all the "settings" stay separated from my real data. However you do it, 15GB or 20GB is way plenty for your OS, and even allows lots of space to download ISO images and stuff like that to your real /home/user folder.

Using VirtualBox is not an issue or consideration, relative to disk partitioning. It's just another application, as far as Linux goes. After VB is installed, you can make your VM on your data partition, using a downloaded ISO.

Which CAD package do you plan to use? I'm just curious -- CAD is one area where the list of excellent Linux software is rather short.

**oshunluvr** · Aug 13, 2011, 11:34 AM

Re: New Build with V-Box.....

VirtualBox by default will use your home directory to store it's virtual machines so that's where you'll want the largest portion of space.

With that much hard drive space you have a lot of options. dibl is correct about the three minimum, but you have room for more.

Since you're new to linux, one common thing a lot of us do or did when we were new to linux was to "distro hop" - installing many distros or changing distros as our knowledge expanded and needs were discovered. Point being - you're likely to do this so it's easier to prepare for this possibility in advance. VirtualBox is fine for testing, but what happens when you find a distro you really want to try for real?

Since you've got a real specific purpose for your computer you may also find a distro that specializes in CAD (and chess!) that you'll want to try.

I would create 4 partitions for installs - 1 for your main install, 1 to backup your main install, 2 to "play" with. 8GB is enough for most distros, but since you have a ton of space I'd use 16-20GB for the install partitions.

sda1 swap 4GB
sda2 boot 200MB
sda3 grub backup 200MB
sda4 Extended 1496GB
sda5 Main install 16GB
sda6 Backup install 16GB
sda7 Extra install 16GB
sda8 Extra install 16GB
sda9 data 716GB
sda10 data backup 716GB

Why all this?

Swap is obvious and the four install partitions I explained.

Tons of space so why not two copies of all your data? This won't protect you from drive failure, but can from accidental deletion or a trashed partition. As dibl said I would use this space only for data and leave /home within each install. This allows sharing of documents, music whatever. I would link to individual folders rather than a single super folder - a bit more work to setup but more "normal" in regular use. I.e. music will be stored in /home/username/Music rather than /home/username/Data/Music. You would also want to store your virtual machines on the data partition and maybe your email folders - all this is easy to set up.

The boot partition is just in case you want to try an exotic drive format that grub can't boot into. There aren't many of those around anymore so this may be unneeded - but I was brain storming everything that might come up.

The grub partition is so that you can make a backup of grub and make have it to boot to in the event you delete or somehow trash your main install (the one you boot to). This and the boot partition are so small they really take no space at all.

I would also use labels when you create your filesystems. Since you'll have so many partitions keeping them straight can be a chore. Labels can help.

**wanderingarcticfox** · Aug 21, 2011, 11:15 AM

Re: New Build with V-Box.....

Thank You Both, I am wading through "tutorials" trying to figure it all out and plan it out on paper. I am not sure how long this old Compaq will hang in for. some strange things have been happening and I believe them to be hardware related. Due to this I have had to cut back on computer time on this end but will check back in a day or two.

**wanderingarcticfox** · Aug 22, 2011, 03:32 AM

Re: New Build with V-Box.....

Originally posted by dibl

Which CAD package do you plan to use? I'm just curious -- CAD is one area where the list of excellent Linux software is rather short.

I have an interest in mechanical, electro-mechanical and electronic CAD software.

**wanderingarcticfox** · Aug 22, 2011, 03:46 AM

Re: New Build with V-Box.....

Originally posted by oshunluvr

Tons of space so why not two copies of all your data? This won't protect you from drive failure, but can from accidental deletion or a trashed partition. As dibl said I would use this space only for data and leave /home within each install. This allows sharing of documents, music whatever. I would link to individual folders rather than a single super folder - a bit more work to setup but more "normal" in regular use. I.e. music will be stored in /home/username/Music rather than /home/username/Data/Music. You would also want to store your virtual machines on the data partition and maybe your email folders - all this is easy to set up.

Easy to set-up. OK I believe that it would all take place in the manual installation of the OS from the Live CD 'iso' burned. I am a little fuzzy on the "bit more work" as far as the example of the 'Music' folder. Do I do this during the manual install too? if so exactly how? I would think a folder for 'Pictures' would be another one I would want also. Then will all of that data be available to any OS's via V-Box be they 32-bit or 64-bit?

I guess I should also add that within 60 days of my build I will be adding an external back-up drive. I will use a Thermaltake ST002OU external USB 3.0 enclosure [has two fans and I like fans] with a WD Caviar Green 2 TB HDD. But I was wondering if I could mount that as an internal back-up since I will have plenty of room in my mid-tower case? The drive is a SATA and I will only be using 3 out of 6 SATA ports on the MOBO for the build. But I would not need the drive to be used all the time. I would think I would want it bootable and easily accessible though. Cad drawings can get very large so one one is 'complete' I would want to store it on the 'back-up' drive . Is this possible and how would I do that ?

**dibl** · Aug 22, 2011, 07:57 AM

Re: New Build with V-Box.....

Originally posted by wanderingarcticfox

Then will all of that data be available to any OS's via V-Box be they 32-bit or 64-bit?

I guess I should also add that within 60 days of my build I will be adding an external back-up drive.

Making your storage partitions (internal or external) available to the V-Box VMs is entirely possible, but (fair warning) you're getting into more advanced networking techniques and it's not going to be a simple point-and-click affair. Remember, the V-Box guest VM does not have any control over your computer, when the running OS is Linux. V-Box is "just" another running process, to the host OS. From a file sharing perspective, it's like there are two separate computers. So you will have to use the V-Box network bridge (on the virtual NIC), and you will have to configure samba (for a Windows VM) or NFS or some other networking configuration to enable the VM to see and make use of the filesystem and mounted shares on the Linux OS. All of the permissions and sharing restrictions that would be applicable to setting up two separate computers on a LAN are present, plus the added layer of V-Box configuration. You can do it, just like I have done it -- I just want to prepare you to dig deep and make a study of whichever type of networking you are going to need to implement.

**wanderingarcticfox** · Aug 22, 2011, 02:48 PM

Re: New Build with V-Box.....

Hey that is a fantastic heads-up, triple thx

But I am thinking and over the next 2-2.5 weeks will be deciding on my 'Host' OS. And with at least one or two partitions in reserve for "new" Os's I hope to avoid the heavy duty networking. I hope to have my CAD App's in the Host or '~new' OS partitions. Would that be a better way to go? Then use the VM's for; well 'pleasure boating' or music storage and Pictures from my camera? Then I could transfer the desired saved photos to the Host and save from there?

Just for a haha; I have been playing around in Kubuntu today and just for fun I found my original paperwork on this current system. The video card is a 64MB SDR nVidia GeForce2 w/TV-Out. The system was ordered on Jan. 29, 2002. No wonder I have been having a few graphics hick-ups

**dibl** · Aug 22, 2011, 03:42 PM

Re: New Build with V-Box.....

Originally posted by wanderingarcticfox

And with at least one or two partitions in reserve for "new" Os's I hope to avoid the heavy duty networking. I hope to have my CAD App's in the Host or '~new' OS partitions. Would that be a better way to go? Then use the VM's for; well 'pleasure boating' or music storage and Pictures from my camera? Then I could transfer the desired saved photos to the Host and save from there?

Yes, that sounds like a good plan if you want to actually boot other operating systems on the hardware. In this case, you definitely do want the data partition separate from the Linux filesystem, and not mounted on /home of each OS. You'll have to learn about Grub's OS prober, and perhaps chain-loading your main grub to your other partitions, and a few things like that. I started out doing that, for awhile.

In the past couple of years, I've settled upon a single OS for the computer, and then I use VMware for my Win 7 VM and Kubuntu 11.10 VM, and I still use V-Box for my Win XP and Kubuntu 11.04 VMs.

I find that Windows makes a dandy little printer driver for my Canon printer that lacks a Linux driver.

**oshunluvr** · Aug 22, 2011, 05:40 PM

Re: New Build with V-Box.....

Grub current version 1.99ish has had no trouble correctly detecting various OS install on my system (currently 5) with the exception of an install that uses a separate /boot partition that's not the grub host system. You only really need a separate /boot for RAID installs which you obviously won't need with only 1 hard drive.

Just curious, have you made any choices for what CAD program(s) are you going to use? This one looks promising...

DraftSight

**wanderingarcticfox** · Aug 22, 2011, 07:53 PM

Re: New Build with V-Box.....

Thx for the info and links for now; been up since just after 4AM EST; Now past 9:45PM EST; be back tomorrow with more questions and thoughts; I figure I have 14-20 days on the countdown to new build but with what I have seen in Kubuntu today, just messing around; it looks like a very good option for a Host system for me.
Thx for the replies and keep the data coming.
No sense in changing anything in my current system; lightening the load will not save a 10 year old graphics card. 8)

""Not With A Bang; But A Whimper " T.S. Elliot""

Think the think-pads think of that?

Seriously though>

I was/am thinking a 1.5 TB primary Drive with multiple partitions and adding within-in 2 months an either internal or external 2.0TB drive as a back-up.

I am trying to learn what it takes to do this via Kubuntu as the 'Host' or primary OS for the system.
If I set up as thus;
sda1 ---- swap
sda2 -----boot
sda3 ---- GRUB Backup
sda4 ----- Extended
sda5 ------Main OS 'Host' Install
sda6 --------Back-up main install
sda7 -- open for new OS Linux
sda8 ---open for new OS Linux
sda9 data --for main and V-box installs or should this be on sda 5?
sda10 data-back-up for sda9

Now if I do this with the primary HDD then what do I need to do for a secondary HDD ported on the MOBO SATA Ports?

Just ordered the HDD and CPU and got a $30 drop on the Hard Drive price; WD 1.5 TB Black with 5 year manufacture warranty; no good unless I have a back -up of it on a different drive though.

The secondary would be an internal back-up drive to the primary but mainly needed for 'files& Folders, Music and Pictures'

I am building with a Cooler-Master 690 Mid-tower so I have space for up to 5 HDD's internal and my Mobo has 2 USB 3.0 ports on the back panel I/O slip. I am just trying to get this all straight in my mind but all input and responses help even if I sometimes confuse myself; so thanks for reading and responding.

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