User's Manual

118 Appendix E:An Introduction to Disk Partitions
For example, if partition /dev/hda5 were mounted on /usr, that would mean that all
files and directories under /usr would physically reside on /dev/hda5. So the file
/usr/share/doc/FAQ/txt/Linux-FAQ would be stored on /dev/hda5, while the file
/etc/X11/gdm/Sessions/Gnome would not.
Continuing our example, it is also possible that one or more directories below /usr would be
mount points for other partitions. For instance, a partition (say, /dev/hda7) could be mounted on
/usr/local, meaning that /usr/local/man/whatis would then reside on /dev/hda7
rather than /dev/hda5.
E.1.8 How Many Partitions?
At this point in the process of preparing to install Red Hat Linux, you will need to give some consider-
ation to the number and size of the partitions to be used by your new operating system. The question
of "how many partitions" continues to spark debate within the Linux community and, without any end
to the debate in sight, it is safe to say that there are probably as many partition layouts as there are
people debating the issue.
Keeping this in mind, we recommend that, unless you have a reason for doing otherwise, you should
at least create the following partitions:
• A swap partition — Swap partitions are used to support virtual memory. In other words, data
is written to swap when there is not RAM to hold the data your system is processing. You must
create a swap partition to correctly use Red Hat Linux. The minimum size of your swap partition
should be equal to twice the amount of your computer’s RAM or 32 MB, whichever is larger.
• A
/boot/efi partition — The partition mounted on /boot/efi contains the operating system
kernel (which allows your system to boot Red Hat Linux), the configuration files for ELILO, and
a few other files used during the bootstrap process. This partition must be formatted as type DOS.
• A root partition (
/ ) — The root partition is where / (the root directory) resides. In this partitioning
layout, all files (except those stored in /boot/efi) reside on the root partition. Because of this,
it is in your best interest to maximize the size of your root partition. A 1.2 GB root partition will
permit the equivalent of a workstation installation (with very little free space), while a 3.4 GB
root partition will let you install every package. Obviously, the more space you can give the root
partition, the better.
Specific recommendations concerning the proper size for various Red Hat Linux partitions can be
found in Section 1.4, Which Installation Class is Best For You?.