Re: BSD disklabel partition letters in NetBSD

["Rocky Hotas" <rockyhotas%post.com@localhost>]

> Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2018 at 7:01 AM
> From: "Don NetBSD" <netbsd-embedded%gmx.com@localhost>
> To: "NetBSD Users Mailing List" <netbsd-users%netbsd.org@localhost>
> Subject: Re: BSD disklabel partition letters in NetBSD
>
[...]
> I don't want to have to keep notes as to how each machine is (was!)
> configured.  So, it's easier for me to just standardize on an approach
> and commit THAT to memory.

Definitely!

> Having a separate partition for /var helps if some process goes wonky
> and starts to fill the /var "directory" (in the case when /var is part
> of the / partition).  I can get to single user (which almost always
> means the offending process is not running) and work with a / partition
> that isn't overfull with all that /var cruft -- which has been preserved
> on the /var *partition*, if I want to examine it)

I never had this issue, but it's useful to know: this lets you fix.

> I don't know if any architectures (Sun?) still have requirements
> as to where the / partition must reside "physically", on the medium.
> I always lay the partitions out consecutively and contiguously
> just cuz it makes the arithmetic more straightforward.

Putting `/' in the beginning of the disk is easy to remember and very
straightforward. I was asking about the order and letters only to know if
it's also mandatory.

> [There are (?) also some issues wrt sector alignment if you're using
> drives with 4K sectors -- though I think those are only performance
> related (??)]

They would be not a big problem in my case.

> Also consider what OTHER systems might want to have a peek at that
> disk. Make sure your partitioning/GPT/MBR choices are compatible
> there, as well!

> [I physically move disks around a lot and want to be sure each machine
> can access the entire contents of the drive. If the drive is in an
> external enclosure -- SCSI, FW, USB -- then doubly so!]

Yes, of course. I don't move hard disks very frequently, but in general
it's recommended to use a more "universal" partitioning scheme.

Rocky