#1 2016-08-02 11:01:36

beng

Member

Registered: 2015-09-29

Posts: 81

recommendations for partitioning SSD + HDD

Hi
I am looking for some recommendations here.
I have an old Acer laptop from 2007 that has been running BL from the beginning (of BL, it was #! before!); it still does the job pretty well with its 4GB RAM !
But lately the 320GB HDD has been making some funny little noises at times; I'm worried it is going to die out on me at some point so I got myself a 420 Sandisk SSD (MLC) in order to keep on using this machine for the family a little longer (again, it does a good job and I'm sure even though dated, with the SSD it will even be faster)
Now, I have chosen to install the latest 20160710 iso as opposed to using dd to copy the previous version that I have kept updated at all times.
Also, until it completely dies out I would like to keep the HDD for my /home partition...
I am aware of the swap, noatime, fstrim... recommendations when setting up an SSD

but I would like your suggestions in terms of how to partition the disks:
again the SSD is 420, this is a lot to keep for /root
the HDD is 320

I'm thinking of something along these lines:
- root on SSD, I'm looking at 50GB,
- the rest on the SSD I would give to my /home partition; could I spread my /home on the 2 disks?...
- swap on HDD (do I still need a swap as I rarely use hibernation?) I can't remember the onscreen swap monitor ever displaying it being used...
- /var on HDD
- /tmp on HDD
What would happen to this configuration when the HDD finally dies...

Thanks a lot in advance
beng

Horizon_Brave

Operating System: Linux-Nettrix

Registered: 2015-10-18

Posts: 1,473

Re: recommendations for partitioning SSD + HDD

Beng, that doesn't make much sense to split the partitions cross drives if you're thinking that one drive will give up the ghost soon.  Plus, /var is pretty important. Also if it does indeed die, and you go to try to boot, I'm going out on a limb here and saying that you will get all sorts of boot errors and warnings that there's probably something critically wrong with your file system.   I wouldn't do it, on a drive that you believe is failing.

Your other question though how to partition, I like keeping /var and /home to bigger chunks as I like to keep log files and many applications I use make use of logging, so I want that space to be free. And /home because...well I download a lot stuff!  Everything else to me is fair game to be stored on /

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"I have not failed, I have found 10,000 ways that will not work" -Edison

paxmark1

Member

Registered: 2015-10-02

Posts: 45

Re: recommendations for partitioning SSD + HDD

My only two cents is that if there is a SDHC slot and you have a decent spare SDHC card it is a good place to put your swap on.  I have still yet to kill a SDHC using part of it as /swap. 

I can say from personal experience that 12GB for / is too small these days

beng

Member

Registered: 2015-09-29

Posts: 81

Re: recommendations for partitioning SSD + HDD

Well, thank you all.
That's helpful: so the HDD is going and I'm going full SSD.
I think I will stick with a swap for the time being... check on a regular basis whether it is used at any time; if not will get rid of it ...
do you guys use fstrim & cron?

Any comments about alignment - do I need to worry about it with this version of BL i.e. it's all taken care of at the installation?
Thanks

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: London

Registered: 2015-09-29

Posts: 9,093

Website

Re: recommendations for partitioning SSD + HDD

do you guys use fstrim & cron?

https://forums.bunsenlabs.org/viewtopic … 894#p32894

Any comments about alignment - do I need to worry about it with this version of BL i.e. it's all taken care of at the installation?

Yes, the disk will be optimally aligned automagically.

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Para todos todo, para nosotros nada

Horizon_Brave

Operating System: Linux-Nettrix

Registered: 2015-10-18

Posts: 1,473

Re: recommendations for partitioning SSD + HDD

HoaS,  Is disk alignment ever needed to be worried about, with newer drives?

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"I have not failed, I have found 10,000 ways that will not work" -Edison

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: London

Registered: 2015-09-29

Posts: 9,093

Website

Re: recommendations for partitioning SSD + HDD

^ Well, I'm sure you could mess it up if you really tried but certainly gdisk behaves itself by default.

EDIT: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Format

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2016-08-03 18:40:03)

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Para todos todo, para nosotros nada

KrunchTime

Member

Registered: 2015-09-29

Posts: 857

Re: recommendations for partitioning SSD + HDD

My environment:

HDD (desktop):  separate /data partition, separate /swap partition, separate / partition (all the Linux stuff goes here), separate encrypted partition
SSD (laptop):  separate /data partition, separate / partition (all the Linux stuff goes here), separate encrypted partition

Last edited by KrunchTime (2016-08-03 21:17:45)