Hey everyone! I'm planning to switch to Linux and I'm trying out CachyOS in a VirtualBox setup. My system specs are a bit modest with an Intel i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and about 1TB of HDD. I'm new to this, but keen on learning, especially about manual disk partitioning. I've got a 50GB storage allocation for the virtual machine, and I'm second-guessing how to partition the disk correctly during installation. What's the best way to approach this? Any tips or recommended setups?
4 Answers
For manual partitioning, I'd recommend creating a root partition (/) in ext4 format. A safe size for that is around 200GB. If you have an SSD, it’ll improve your overall experience. Don’t forget you can also create a swap partition that matches your RAM, or use a swap file if that's more convenient. Check out the Arch Wiki for a detailed guide on partitioning!
I found this great video that covers the partitioning process for Linux Mint, which should be similar for CachyOS: [Watch it here!](https://youtu.be/0gSr8YsJtd0?si=v2YPahroIkGi8Jel). It really helped clarify things for me!
You might want to stick with the default partition scheme unless you have a specific reason to change it. It usually balances everything well for most users.
If you're planning to use a boot loader like GRUB, allocate around 512MB for the boot partition. You can also consider separating your home directory (/home) to make system upgrades smoother. It keeps your personal files safe during OS changes!
Thanks for the suggestion! I’m primarily looking for specific steps on manual disk partitioning, so I’ll look into that.