Subject: Optimal partitions?
To: None <port-mac68k@NetBSD.ORG>
From: brian wildasinn <bwildasi@csulb.edu>
List: port-mac68k
Date: 07/31/1997 00:48:42
hi!
Is there a better approach to disk partitions? I'm trying to avoid
wasted space of small files stored in large block size partitions. And
noticed that although hdsc-Setup and FWB's partitioners said minimum
block size was 3.6k, for example, a 259504MB partition, the df command
in netbsd says the block sizes are 1k for such a partition size. I've
read some of the faqs about partitioning harddrives (the bios issues for
a 2 gig drive seems like a DOS discussion). The man pages for fs
mentioned that blocks are default fragmented to an 8th of a 512 block.
So it appears that bsd rewrote the rules for using block sizes in a
given partition.
Anyway, a jaz removeable needs to be set up with mkfs and i would like
to know what is an optimal way of doing this. A snafoo with the having
many partitions is that netbsd runs out of available partition letters
(8 max, 5 useable) for a given drive. Secondly, multiple partitions
seems to involve setting up env so that the system and programs know
where all the goodies are stored in all the possible directories--of
which some may not be mounted. When i set up three partitions below with
mkfs and started installing into the freshly mounted partions, each
partion has its own "/usr/local..." directories due to the nature of
installing .tar files.
Since netbsd uses fragments of 512 blocks, can't i just make the whole
jaz disk a "NetBSD Root & Usr" partition and call it a day? that would
allow me to avoid all the mounting as unnecessary. Plus, there would
only need to be ONE "/usr/local..." directory also. Although, in the
back of my mind i remember a discussion of having different partitions
for different directories to reduce the risk of damage to an entire
harddrive. And if i would want that security, how do i do the env stuff?
My original partitioning scheme was 200MB for netbsd & X, 260MB for
binaries, 260MB for src/sys, and 280MB for other--given the limitations
of 5 usable partitions on the jaz (the macOS and Iomega partitions
cannot/must not be deleted).
Jaz removeable as it now is:
# disklabel
8 partitions:
# size offset fstype [fsize bsize cpg]
a: 407265 421 4.2BSD 0 0 0 #(Cyl. 0*-199*)
b: 80000 407686 swap #(Cyl. 199*-238*)
c: 2091050 0 unused 0 0 #(Cyl. 0-1021*)
d: 10 11 unknown #(Cyl. 0*-0*)
e: 400 21 unknown #(Cyl. 0*-0*)
f: 519008 1006694 4.2BSD 0 0 0 #(Cyl. 491*-744*)
g: 519008 487686 4.2BSD 0 0 0 #(Cyl. 238*-491*)
h: 565344 1525702 4.2BSD 0 0 0 #(Cyl. 744*-1021*)
df:
Filesystem 1k-blocks used Avail Capacity Mounted on
root_device 197167 96437 81013 54% /
/dev/sd2f 738764 530180 134707 80% /vol-f
/dev/sd2g 487213 280835 157656 64% /vol-g
/dev/sd2h 1012491 738773 172468 81% /vol-h