Best partition scheme MX Linux

[Gaer Boy]

I do not share my /home amongst different distros because of potential conflicting config setups between the distros . That is why I don't have a separate /home PARTITION. Instead, I created [subsequent to installing the first distro on my machine] a separate DATA partition to hold my media, documents, music, data that I can enjoy whatever distro I am booted into. Each distro will have their own /home folder that just holds what config files get created by the apps that I run [IGNORE THIS STATEMENT IF ALL YOU WANT TO DO IS TO HAVE ONE DISTRO ON YOUR MACHINE]

This is also my approach, although I only run MX Linux. My OS disk is a 250GB SSD and I have 3 x 30GB partitions for OS installation. My reason for multiple partitions is to try the Beta & RC versions of MX when a new version is coming. My data is all on a second disk but there is 150GB available on the SSD which I could use for this. In fact, I have recently moves my VM files there to see if they run faster. I haven't been able to tell so far!

[8bit]

When you boot the thumb drive, run gparted first, the red square; red line is target drive.
Expand the installer window to see all of the Choose partition list.
(depending on your browser - right-click on image; open in new tab. close tab when finished viewing)



Take the time to set up two partitions; one for Xfce and one for Plasma.
Give each OS their own swap big enough to hibernate; the size of your memory.
Make the boot partition about 1 gig. (opinions will differ on sizes of partitions, suit yourself)
Set the flags for boot partition boot, esp.



Installer will refresh the Choose partitions list when you exit gparted. I'm using Ventoy. https://www.ventoy.net/en/index.html
Check if the boot/esp partition of your thumb drive is listed and set it to blank.



Thumb drive boot partition set to blank. Partitions set for Xfce.



Complete install. Boot from thumb drive with MX Linux KDE Plasme and repeat instillation.



Let us know how you make out.

[MXRobo]

@MB83
I'm used to using the GPT partitioning scheme, hence some of my suggestions/agreements are GPT scheme
specific, e.g. as @8bit's suggestion to:

Set the flags for boot partition boot, esp.

The boot & esp flags are easy to forget.

Give each OS their own swap big enough to hibernate the size of your memory.

The > or = memory size, if you intend (or accidentally) hibernate (it's disabled by default in MX Tweak>Config Options in MX-21)
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As per: @Gaer Boy Most), All my data folders are symlinked to folders in /home.
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@AK-47 Wasn't aware of the slide bar full disk install option – good to know. Never installed full disk.
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However I disagree with two suggestions in this post, and I could be incorrect, these are the first things that I Googlefooed when I first started using Linux; and it's not my intent to derail this post, but I would like some feedback on one of these – the separate /home partition.

1 - I have always heard that you can share swap with other distros on a rather common install – I have always done that when I had more than one distro installed.

2 - As per: @asqwerth

I do not share my /home amongst different distros because of potential conflicting config setups between the distros . That is why I don't have a separate /home PARTITION. Instead, I created [subsequent to installing the first distro on my machine] a separate DATA partition to hold my media, documents, music, data that I can enjoy whatever distro I am booted into. Each distro will have their own /home folder that just holds what config files get created by the apps that I run [IGNORE THIS STATEMENT IF ALL YOU WANT TO DO IS TO HAVE ONE DISTRO ON YOUR MACHINE]

And the issue where I'd like more feedback is, in the past I have always shared a home partition amongst different distros, I was under the impression that this was fine if you used different user names – that being the key to avoid config problems. I can't say for certain that I never had any problems doing this, because I may not have know what was causing a problem, but from my perspective, I never encountered any problems doing this.
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My suggestions:

I believe that partition order was relevant on HHD's, and even different for different types of HHD's and use, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that the partition order (other than the ESP and maybe boot partitions) does not matter – or is insignificant – in SSD's.

On a GPT partitioning scheme:
Using Gparted first, my preference, many find it easier to open Gparted first, use the GPT partitioning scheme.
Select Custom Installation or Something Else – both the same.
1 - Use or make the ESP partition 512Mib or 1 GiB
2 – (Optional Make a separate 2 – 3 GiB boot partition if encrypting, at least 1 GiB)
(From here on partition order is of no concern – I believe)
3 – Make a /root partition 20 – 30 GiB (30 GiB if I you'll install a lot of apps, yes "a lot" is relevant)
4 – Make a /home partition 10 – 20 GiB. Or bigger, depending on how many distros will share this, and if you save Timeshift snapshots on home. I save my Timeshift snapshots in my data partiton and I create a separate directory/folder in the data partiton and folder in my home folder – symnlinked as per Gaer Boy.
5 – I'm of the habit of creating a swap partition, but as asqwerth said, it's optional with 8 GiB of ram.
This something I'll think about on future installs, maybe zRAM swap or something.
6 – /tmp partition. 5 – 10 GiB. Not sure if necessary, appreciate feedback.
6 – I'd create a separate DATA (any name) partition at /mnt/DATA, you could also use /media/DATA but /mnt/ is not displayed in the file manager (at least it's not in thunar in Xfce) and I don't want it to be displayed because I'd create directories in my DATA partition symlinked from my home folder.

Warning! Check the installer before proceeding, as it does not default to preserve. This is CRITICAL on the DATA partition when installing a second time, e.g. another distro, or reinstalling. Also possibly relevant to the /home partition.

I find this link slightly easier to do by hand than thunar's r-click creating symlinks.https://www.linuxliteos.com/forums/tuto ... -partition
++++++++++EDIT++Link Has Changed++++++++++++++++
https://www.linuxliteos.com/forums/tuto ... 97/#msg997
++++++++++++++++EDIT++++++++++++++++++++
++EDIT++ The above link instructs to use:

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gksu leafpad /etc/fstab

leafpad is not installed, and I believe that gksu is deprecated or not the preferred method to do this, I'd use sudo featherpad /etc/fstab, or thunar > etc r-click the fstab file to Edit as Root.
++++++++++++++++EDIT++++++++++++++++++++
When done, check that you have permission in your symlinks, open them, r-click in thunar F.M. and see if you can create Folders or Documents, if it's greyed out and you can't, you'll probably need to run this afterwards:

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sudo chown -R yourusername: /mnt/DATA

Actually, I don't use Shots I just save my Timeshift Snapshots in /mnt/DATA, it creates a separate directory there.

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username@MX-GVivo:/mnt/DATA
$ ls
Documents  Downloads  lost+found  Music  Pictures  Shots  Templates  timeshift  Videos

P.S. To state the obvious, some of these may be helpful:

lsblk, blkid, cd /mnt/DATA

Possibly have unfallocated space between two partitions that you may need to enlarge later, e.g. root and home.
HTH

[Huckleberry Finn]

...Set the flags for boot partition boot, esp...

Just to prevent confusions: "ESP" (Efi System) partition (when it's uefi) (as in the picture).

[MB83]

Many thanks for all this very detailed answer.
I will work on that next week and I will report what I do.
Thanks again

[8bit]

1 - I have always heard that you can share swap with other distros on a rather common install – I have always done that when I had more than one distro installed.

If one is very careful to keep the newly installed OS from formatting the existing swap. Some installers don't provide that option. Debian is one of the worst; it will glom onto every swap partition on the machine unless specifically told not to.

[asqwerth]

@MXRobo

Root partition is /,
Not /root

And when I install another distro on my machine, I don't even address or point my distro the installer at the pre-existing Data partition. I don't want any installer dealing with it at all.

After install, I boot into that distro and adjust its fstab file to add the data partition entry.

[asqwerth]

1 - I have always heard that you can share swap with other distros on a rather common install – I have always done that when I had more than one distro installed.

If one is very careful to keep the newly installed OS from formatting the existing swap. Some installers don't provide that option. Debian is one of the worst; it will glom onto every swap partition on the machine unless specifically told not to.

Agree. I often don't choose swap when installing later distros. After install, I manually add the swap entry to its fstab file.

[MB83]

I would like to correct a wrong info that I gave about my netbook, this Aspire One 725 has 4 GB RAM not 8 as I wrote previously.

[MXRobo]

@MXRobo

Root partition is /,
Not /root

Yes, I should have typed it that way, that was just to write that it was root, for redundant clarification, not to introduce confusion.

@MXRobo
And when I install another distro on my machine, I don't even address or point my distro the installer at the pre-existing Data partition. I don't want any installer dealing with it at all.

++EDIT++ To separate quote from comment
I've done it both ways successfully with the new MX installer, unfortunately, dozens of times
- any my issue was simply that I needed a newer ahs kernel.
But yes, that makes sense, but for some reason I felt inadequate if I didn't do it with the installer, but I initially felt much more confident doing it manually afterwards.

Side note, can you still edit the fstab file with "Disk Manager"? Thanks