Linux Partitioning
The next step is one of the most important things we will do during our installation. Here is where we configure and mount our partitions. As you can see at the top of the following picture it shows the types of file system you can setup. This picture is also demonstrating that it will be a dual boot installation. If you are installing Linux on the remaining space of your hard drive, you better not mess with the blue part; because, if you do you will wipe out your windows operating system. I will be glad if you do! Just kidding… Look at the picture. It is a basic standard layout installation for a dual boot. If you are just experimenting, it is ok. However for a higher standard we need to accomplish a better configuration. Note: The following:
Windows
/root Fig. 1.12
Swap
Home
This is perfect when you are running windows 2000 or XP, because even if you have NTFS you can still dual boot with Mandrake unlike other distributions. Remember if you plan for a dual boot you have to resize your partition, or do what I do. Grab a 40 GB hard drive install windows 2000 on the first 10 GB partition and format it with NTFS and leave the rest for Linux. You might be wondering why I stress “with NTFS”; I am a security specialist and security is always my concern. When using windows you can always add some security to your system if you are using NTFS. FAT and FAT32 have no security at all. If you are going to install or setup a server with Linux, do not configure a dual boot, or you will be sorry later. The following picture is what we need to accomplish for a server type system. Keep reading to see how it is created.
Fig. 1.13 Server type Partitions