From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Dec 29 17:21:14 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id AB220106568F for ; Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:21:14 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from frank@shute.org.uk) Received: from atmail-8.bnguk.net (atmail-8.bnguk.net [80.74.253.5]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 371AF8FC1C for ; Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:21:14 +0000 (UTC) Received: from 77-44-105-82.xdsl.murphx.net ([77.44.105.82] helo=orange.esperance-linux.co.uk) by atmail-8.bnguk.net with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1NPfku-0003V3-6V; Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:21:12 +0000 Received: by orange.esperance-linux.co.uk (Postfix, from userid 1001) id 960BD4AC20; Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:21:11 +0000 (GMT) Date: Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:21:11 +0000 From: Frank Shute To: Kaya Saman Message-ID: <20091229172111.GA38927@orange.esperance-linux.co.uk> Mail-Followup-To: Kaya Saman , freebsd-questions@freebsd.org References: <4B3927EB.4030802@optiplex-networks.com> <6201873e0912281420n590b173dtac94f9936cca6e3@mail.gmail.com> <4B393463.5060504@netscape.net> <6201873e0912281504j552d6351mf64d8e566d54bcef@mail.gmail.com> <20091229142310.GD90870@Alex1.lan> <4B3A1E1A.1040506@netscape.net> <20091229162711.GA38738@orange.esperance-linux.co.uk> <4B3A3045.3050907@netscape.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <4B3A3045.3050907@netscape.net> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.3i X-Face: *}~{PHnDTzvXPe'wl_-f%!@+r5; VLhb':*DsX%wEOPg\fDrXWQJf|2\,92"DdS%63t*BHDyQ|OWo@Gfjcd72eaN!4%NE{0]p)ihQ1MyFNtWL X-Operating-System: FreeBSD 8.0-RELEASE-p1 amd64 X-Organisation: 'shute.org.uk' Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: New user - small file server questions and quick GUI question X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: Frank Shute List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:21:14 -0000 On Tue, Dec 29, 2009 at 06:37:25PM +0200, Kaya Saman wrote: > > [...] > > > >What is not unusual is to symlink /home e.g: > > > ># ln -s /usr/home /home > > > >ditto for /tmp. i.e you remove all the stuff that uses up space from > >the root partition. > > > >So the only slices you need are /, /usr, /var and swap. > > > >How I'd slice up the disk: > > > >2GB for / > >2GB for swap > >2GB for /var > >34GB for /usr > > > > Ah so BSD is slightly different from Linux in the fact that it needs to > have /var and /usr filesystems separate?? You can have /var on the same slice but because it's a filesystem that's constantly being read & written to it's usual to keep it separate from your "static" partitions. > > I guess it must be similar to the way Solaris handles things when UFS > based (not ZFS)..... > > The /home partition then is very similar to Solaris in that /export/home > is considered the user directory. Means BSD stores /home in /usr/home?? Again, it's just a common practice. Due to the PC BIOS, IIRC you're restricted to 4 slices. > > > > > > >Should be OK but /tmp symlinked to /usr/tmp as some things can really > >fill up /tmp. For example, IIRC OpenOffice needs gigs of temp space > >to build. > > > > OpenOffice or IIRC is for GUI based usage and not CLI. Since this will > be a simple server no GUI or work will be done on the machine itself in > terms of keyboard/mouse setup. Normally I work through SSH so will be > much easier once I have network connectivity up and running after > initial install :-) OK. You may want to make /tmp a separate slice. You can always make it a symlink into /usr at a latter date if you repurpose the machine. You would find that FreeBSD works quite well as a workstation even with that limited hardware. > > > > > >Should work fine. Just remember to make your /home and /tmp symlinks > >as soon as you first boot up. > > > >Regards, > > > > > Thanks!!! > BTW, you mentioned you were going to use packages. If I were you I'd build from source. It's less problematic in my experience and since FreeBSD multitasks so well it's not much of a pain. You've got plenty of room for the ports tree. Best of luck with your installation! Regards, -- Frank Contact info: http://www.shute.org.uk/misc/contact.html