Partitioning

Partitioning is basically the process by which one divides a hard disk into various segments. This has a number of advantages, including the following; keeping important personal data separate from the system (OS), and preventing a user’s data from consuming too much space, potentially hindering a system’s performance. It is also necessary for booting multiple OSs (eg. running Windows and Linux) on the same machine.

The first item listed above, while not a suitable replacement for a proper backup solution, makes things easier when an unexpected reformatting of the system drive is needed. Data files won’t be wiped out in that case, so losing or restoring them will not be necessary. With Linux, one has the added bonus of being able to share a “/home” partition between multiple installations; one can dual- or multi-boot multiple distributions and keep the same settings intact. For example; I can boot up into Ubuntu, browse the web, reboot into openSUSE and Firefox will load up with the same tabs open as when I closed it in Ubuntu. Handy! Backgrounds, themes, etc. can also be preserved between installations.

With that in mind, let’s continue where we left off on the first page. Here are the steps to partition a hard disk while setting up Debian GNU/Linux. After selecting your time zone, you’ll be greeted with the following screen:

Unless you have a data partition on the disk that needs to be preserved, will be dual-booting or have some other special partition table, it’s probably safe to use the entire disk, and this guide will go by that assumption. Bear in mind that writing a new partition table will wipe out everything on the disk.

That done, time to choose the disk to be partitioned. If you have multiple hard drives in your system, choose carefully:

You may be asked to again specify your partitioning method:

Again, use the entire disk unless you have a reason not to, and move on to the next screen:

I would recommend at least creating a separate partition for “/home” for reasons given in the first two paragraphs of this page. A swap partition is wise particularly if you have a small amount of RAM. When you’ve made your choice, you’ll be given a chance to review:

One last chance:

Confirm that, and give it a few minutes to format your disk:

When that’s all done, the actual installation will begin.