Disk Partitioning in Debian or Ubuntu

[truckinboots]

Hi Folks,

I've got a semi-older PC (32GB ram / i5-2500quad/ 2x 500 SSD (samsung), 2TB, and 1TB drives.

I'm trying to install a linux distro, that I can put apache and mySQL on...so I can do some web page development.

I seem to either not understand, or do it wrong..during install and I've check the manuals, and what isn't clear to me is...

If I have samsung 465GB (500GB) <<< sda >>> and samsung 465(500GB) <<< sdb >>> and I want them to be in raid, for all OI / servers / applications

I know I need a swap file of about 65GB, but is this mirrored?
Do i need a boot drive (i'm thinking 1GB), but once I put that boot drive on it seems to remove the disk from being able to put it in raid. Its the only OS on that system, my laptop is a mac, so, do I really need a /home

I'm trying to work the partioning, so I can get things up and running, I had Debian 9.5 but when I went to go put my password in, it kept failing it, so I downloaded a ubuntu ISO, I'm assuming it doesn't matter the ISO, or distro, i still can flash the usb with debian iso, its no big deal.

Just need the machine up...any help be appreciated, and yes I'm totally new to linux.

 

[Dave8671]

Why do you need RAID? Here is a RAID setup documentation from Ubuntu.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/SoftwareRAID

 

[truckinboots]

Why do you need RAID? Here is a RAID setup documentation from Ubuntu.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/SoftwareRAID

Hi Dave, thanks for your response. The question answer to the question: "Why do I need Raid", is...I don't. But I DO have 2 identical discs in the machine, so why not? I have no other use for the just 1. Running them in Raid 0 (stripping) means if 1 fails you loose all. Running them in Raid 0, means I have mirror images in the event, 1 fails. Since I have 2 spares, why not. The question was more about disc space allocation. and where to put the boot directory.

 

[Rocky Bennett]

You do not need a swap file. Why would you want a swap file?

 

[Rocky Bennett]

On a side note. I have 5 identical 500 gb SSDs in my computer, and a 4 terabyte internal spinning hard drive and an 8 terabyte desktop hard drive. I do not use RAID except in my desktop storage. But you definitely do not need a swap file, not at all. There is zero reason to want a swap file.

 

[Rocky Bennett]

Your conceptual picture of a swap file might be completely wrong. A swap file in not like a swap partition. A swap partition is a separate partition that resides on your SSD. A swap file is just that, a file that sits on your home partition. You do not need a swap partition or a swap file. They are just useless conceptual fragments from the old days when people had 1 gb of RAM.

With anything over 8 gb of RAM you do not need swap space at all, a partition or a file.

 

[Dave8671]

Most of the time the boot is the the first drive on the system sda. I think raid has to be on the first disk but I never got in to Raid not sure.

Most installations of Linux will create one unless you custom create your own partitions Mint and Ubuntu both and its 4GB swap. I think on older systems its best to have a swap.

 

[truckinboots]

IF I don't need a /SWAP file, >>please review >>> https://haydenjames.io/linux-performance-almost-always-add-swap-space/

 

[Rocky Bennett]

Great article with a lot of good info. Did you read my post above that explained the difference between a swap file and a swap partition?

 

[truckinboots]

Great article with a lot of good info. Did you read my post above that explained the difference between a swap file and a swap partition?

yes I read it, and if I understand what your saying, I don't need a /swap partition, but rather just let the OS make its own swap file as it wants .

 

[audiospecaccts]

Its actually up to the program and os handlers used. So depending on the program, it will use swap.

Window's OS uses swap all the time, more so than memory. That is why a fresh or new hard drive makes it "fast".

Partitioning the swap in one area increases efficiency because it lowers seek time and fragmentation.

Its best to do guided installs that auto partition drives.
but what I would do is set up the raid in its bios, then install.
If you have a software raid, don't bother, because they create too much overhead. even ones managed by logical disk management.