automatic partition sizing?

[zefreq]

hi everyone,

I plan to use a 6 gig hd for dual boot with win95 and linux-mandrake. Starting with two partitions, Win95 already installed, would I need to create 4 more partitions before the linux installation for a boot, a swap, a native root, and a native home? Or will I have the option to configure these linux-specific partitions during the new installation?

If I should make these partitions before hand, then approximately what size should each individual partition be? remember: 6 gig hd, of which some space is already used for win95. I'm using PartitionMagic btw.

...my first linux installation...Many Thanks!

zefreq

[Tyr-7BE]

How much is Win95 using? You'll definately have to create them beforehand, but the install will handle all the things like mount points and formatting them to an ext2 fs. You just have to make them.

Here's my partition scheme:

Swap: Equivalent to your amount of RAM. If you have limited RAM in your computer, I'd suggest making the swap double your amount of RAM. If you have excessive RAM, I'd say make it alittle smaller. Otherwise make it the same size (eg 128 megs ram = 128 meg swap space).

/boot: I make mine 16 megs...that's plenty for me...not much goes on here. Only image files to boot the computer and a few other things like that.

/home: I made this 300 megs, although that's a little excessive at times. /home is used for all personal files, as well as some hidden files that programs use (eg config files). I know that The GIMP (graphics editing program) will use 30 megs of /home as a buffer by default, so you'll want to make it a decent size. 300 seems to be plenty for me.

/: Everything else. However big you want it to be. If you're going with Mandrake or RedHat or SuSE (highly recommended for a newbie), I'd suggest AT LEAST 3 gigs. They all come with A TONNE of software (lets you know what's available :)). Give it as much as you deem worthy.

You can create partitions with fdisk and resize them with fips (both DOS tools). There is plenty of documentation out there on it. If things don't work, come on over to us and we'll see what we can do. Good luck!

[DMR]

Also, give Strike's multi-partition NHF (http://www.linuxnewbie.org/nhf/intel/installation/partition/multi_partition.html) a read; it'll help walk you through the process.