How much room for the OS ?

[Regin]

I'm not sure how much room I should reserve for the OS. I will be using a single drive and partition it, but it would be regrettable to spend too much space on the OS.

Is there any rule of thumb telling how much extra space you need beside the OS in the partition to keep it working properly? I'm going to run either my old XP or a new 64-bit Vista, I think.

Thanks in advance !

 

[BlueAcolyte]

50GB will be more than enough for just the OS and some programs that may HAVE to install on the C: drive.

 

[jesterb84]

As a side note - You can also boot using a Linux Live-CD such as Ubuntu and run gparted, which lets you manage your partitions (create, delete, resize, convert, etc.). You can always resize the partition if you find it too large or small.

 

[Regin]

Thank you both for the quick responses !

@ jesterb84 :
I don't think I have the insight to go with Linux. I have always been afraid of it when I have the impression that it's only for experts. I know my way around Windows, but I'm not at all into programming. Plus I've heard of some compatibility problems with games, and that's my main use of my PC.

Out of curiousity.....what's the "requirements" to have success with Linux ?

 

[jesterb84]

Originally posted by: Regin
Thank you both for the quick responses !

@ jesterb84 :
I don't think I have the insight to go with Linux. I have always been afraid of it when I have the impression that it's only for experts. I know my way around Windows, but I'm not at all into programming. Plus I've heard of some compatibility problems with games, and that's my main use of my PC.

Out of curiousity.....what's the "requirements" to have success with Linux ?

Regin, my previous post did not imply going to Linux full time. Most Linux distributions (i.e. Ubuntu, Gentoo, etc.) have what is called a Live CD. How this works is that there is a full Linux installation right on the CD. You pop the CD into your optical drive and boot up there. The Live CD will boot right up and load the entire OS and cache directly to RAM (never touching your actual HD). That way, you can run the Linux OS from CD (and the associated pre-installed programs) without ever installing the OS. When done, you take the CD out, reboot, and are back in Windows without the HD ever being touched (unless you run a program such as "gparted" which manages HD partitions, etc.).

As for your other question on the "requirements" to have success there really are none except for an open mind. Many Linux distributions such as Ubuntu and Red Hat have gotten so user-friendly that it is not required to enter the console anymore. It's worth a try to download a Live CD and have a spin with the OS without actually having to install it. If you like, most Live CDs have the option of copying the entire installation to disk.

 

[Regin]

Ah, thank you for enlightening me ! I think I will try it out to see what it's like.