What is the consensus on the best partition scheme and size?/Keeping home separate

[Robert P. J. Day]

On Wed, 25 Oct 2006, Joe Klemmer wrote:

> linux wrote:
>
> > I want to install FC6 on my laptop.  When I install I usually do a
> > complete new install instead of an update.  For example when going from
> > FC4 to FC5, I did a new install.  how can I partition my hd so that I
> > can keep  /home and not overwrite it?  Do I make it a separate
> > partition?  What is the consensus on the best partition scheme and size?
>
> 	There's probably as many partition schemes as there are people to think
> of them.  There isn't a consensus but some rules of thumb are around.  I
> will tell you my preferences and you can go from there when others post
> theirs.
>
> Desktop/Laptop
> ==============
> /
> /boot
> /home
>
> Server
> ======
> /
> /boot
> /home
> /usr
> /usr/local
> /var
> /var/spool
>
> And, OC, the swap partition on both.

personally, i lay out my laptop a lot closer to your server
suggestion but, then again, my laptop *is* my primary system.  that
said, here are a couple of other thoughts:

1) a separate /tmp to protect the root filesystem from /tmp overflow
has always seemed to me like a good idea.

2) and speaking of /tmp, i'm pondering the idea of moving /tmp under
/var and symlinking /tmp -> /var/tmp.  i could have sworn that there
was something in the FHS that suggested that /tmp really belonged
under /var because of its dynamic nature.

3) if i'm feeling bold and daring, i'll mount /usr read-only (as the
FHS suggests it has the right to be).  AFAIK, there's nothing in
fedora core that requires /usr to be mounted read-write in normal
operation, and i can always remount briefly when i'm installing or
updating SW.

rday