Need a tutorial on partitioning a HD for Linux

[MichaelD]

I run Ubuntu on my Netbook and am fairly pleased with it. I loaded it from a USB stick and just accepted all the defaults. Easy stuff. I know about "this much" command line stuff. I'm a Windows GUI idiot, hence why I run Ubuntu, since it's most like Windows...but free.

This time around I'm contemplating loading Ubuntu Server (on my file server currently running a trial of Server 2012) and running a Samba file server on it. All my PCs at home are Windows variants, hence the need for Samba.

I've thought about running Ubuntu Server in the past but didn't b/c frankly, I have no idea what all the different partitions in a Linux install do (except the swap partition) and never really felt comfortable just accepting defaults.

On my files server, I have a RAID5 array on a HW RAID card, formatted in NTFS that I don't want to touch; I'm aware that Linux can read NTFS. I just want to partition the system HD optimally, but have no idea how to do that. Is there a tutuorial out there that explains what all the partitions are/what function they serve and how to best size them?

Please keep in mind I'm a Linux n00b and don't speak the language, so telling me to go to /var/dev/trash and recompile the kernel with the /noob/fas switch won't help me. :whiste: Thanks!!!

 

[MrColin]

You don't necessarily need to specify anything but the / partition but an additional swap partition no bigger than the amount of RAM you have is recommended. Be careful not to hose your RAID disks with the installer. I usually just unplug the data cable from any disks I don't want touched by the installer. After installation I plug them back in and add corresponding lines to /etc/fstab so they mount automatically at boot time.

To do that:
1. Create a mount point (an empty folder).
2. Get the UUID for the ntfs disks/partition (the command "blkid" will output the UUIDs I think, google for details, also google the mount options).
3. add a line like:

# My NTFS RAID array
UUID=<uuid from step 2>   /my/mount/point   ntfs   whatever,options,you,want,nospaces   0   0

Note, the line starting with "#" is just a comment and is not required.
If you like the installer to create this line for you leave the drives connected but be careful not to format them.

I went the other way recently, Ubuntu server --> WS2012, and there are a lot of things I miss. ie decent built in firewall, samba is more flexible and transparent than windows "sharing," and generally more transparent everything without having to drill through silly "wizards."

 

[MichaelD]

Thanks very much, MrColin. I appreciate the detailed reply. All the arguments/switches in the command line stuff in Linux just confuses me. Knowing that Linux is very unforgiving...it'll delete it all if that's what you (oops) tell it to do...makes me nervous.

I have a spare box right now; I'll load Ubuntu Server on it and play around with it for awhile. One thing that concerns me about running Ubuntu Server is that I wont be able to use my Norton Ghost backup software. Stupid question, but does Linux have a backup utility that you can schedule jobs in? Is that "chronjobs" or something like that? Can you tell it to make full/differential backups? I see that it does...the tar utility. But again, arguments on top of arguments. Definitely a learning curve. I guess I just have to get unlazy and play with it for awhile in a "non-production" enviroment.

I'm currently using the eval version of 2012 Essentials and the trial is about to run out. I know I can extend it twice for 30 days apiece, but that's just postponing the inevitable. 2012 has been OK...but not OK enough to spend $400 on.

I've had this RAID array for years; I always unplug the RAID card from the MB entirely when formatting the OS disk. I take no chances.

 

[yinan]

Even past the eval portion Server 2012 will continue to be fully functional.

 

[MichaelD]

Past the evaluation expiration, the server shuts down every hour. Not very functional IMO. You can renew the eval period, two times, for 30 days each. OR, I'm assuming I could just reinstall it. But that's an entire day lost setting up AD, reloading the connector software on the clients, etc. Total PITA.