I'm in a bit of a unique situation. I've always used Linux on ext4 partitions, but now I'm helping my brother switch his Windows laptop to 100% Linux, ditching Windows altogether. He has a single 1 TB SSD set up with multiple partitions: a 250 MB EFI partition, a 140 GB NTFS OS partition with Windows, an 800 GB NTFS data partition for games and files, and a recovery partition, plus around 500 MB of unallocated space. We'd like to keep the 800 GB data partition untouched while installing Linux on the OS partition, hoping that without Windows, we can avoid issues like hibernation that come with dual boot setups. I'm also wondering if I can use the NTFS partition as /home post-install and increase the size of the EFI partition using the unallocated space. Is this possible?
2 Answers
NTFS support in Linux isn't the best, even without Windows around. Issues can still pop up. I recommend you reformat the NTFS partition to a Linux-friendly format for a smoother experience.
Using an NTFS partition for your home directory isn't recommended because Linux's support for NTFS can be unreliable. If any issues arise, the Linux NTFS tools may not fix them fully, and you'll likely need access to a Windows system for repairs. Backing up your data before making any changes is critical.
Totally agree. I had my own share of troubles with NTFS while dual booting. It's best to keep everything backed up and consider reformatting to avoid headaches later.
Sounds like the smart move. Once it's formatted, do you think we should still keep it as two partitions (one for the OS and one for games) or combine them since it's all on the same SSD?