Linux Partitions

[Kevin Brown]

> I finally got RedHat 7.2 downloaded (5 days through Quest DSL #$%#$) and
> burned on the CDs. 

Heh, for me it only takes 8 hours on Qwest DSL, but I get my isos from mirror
sites that are faster.

> I have the following questions. I can not remember where
> I read about the partition size of the disk. I am going to get a 60GB IDE
> disk to install Linux only. What are recommanded partition size for /boot
> (RedHat Doc says 50MB?), /usr, /var, /home and /export? The Linux I am going
> to setup is mainly for running Oracle Database for practice. Should I give
> /usr or /home the most space? What kind of arrangement of disk space should
> I follow? And what exactly /usr, /var, /home and /export are for? On
> Solaris, /home and /export are used for most of the users. How about the
> Linux?

/boot is the location for kernels and system maps for booting.  20-50MB is good
here.

/home is used to hold the personal space for each user and by default prior to
RH7.x was also used to hold the webpages if Apache was installed.  This only
needs to be as large as how much data you expect all the users to store in
/home/<username>.

/var is the location where logs and lock files and pids of processes get
placed.  Several hundred meg is good here.

/usr is where all the executables get put and /usr/local is the default location
for any locally installed programs get put by default.  This folder will
probably encompass most of that 60GB drive depending on where Oracle puts the
binaries and databases.

/export never seen it used under linux at all, unless you are using NFS which
none of the boxen I have maintained ever have (including Solaris boxes, disabled
on them :) ).

/ should not be forgotten.  Recommend at least 100MB as this is where everything
else will go that isn't in /boot, /var, /usr, or /home.

> I also download all of the How-To and Mini-How-To PDF files. It is over 200
> files. I was lost and didn't know which PDF will answer my questions.

There really is not One-Size-Fits-All partitioning scheme.  It really does
depend on the size of the drives and the purpose to which the machine will be
put.