After the system partitions are done, make all the remain space on the boot disk (or striped-together disks, if doing that) into a /._disk1 partition.

If you've got LVM, then arguably: hold a gig back, in case you need to `vgextend' a partition later. (Otherwise, accept that you flubbed, and rebuild the machine...)

Partitioning to avoid disk-full situations

ToDo: (Bill Hassell story on one-partition-per-thing-that-might-fill-up.)

Red Hat Linux 9 laptop, 96MB, a 4G disk

I let the 'auto-partition' thing run, and it decided on swap, /boot, and / for the rest.

(swap)     193MB # its choice
/boot       96MB # but it only used 14MB
/          3.6GB # i.e. the rest; a "workstation" install used 2.2GB

HP-UX11 box with a 9GB boot disk, plus a 36GB disk

For resilience, don't stripe the disks together.

Overall, be generous w/ sizes. There is no real reason to scrimp.

I'd add on 100MB for /usr/local (50MB, minimum).

If you want developer tools, add an extra 100MB to /usr, and probably some to /opt.

If you want Online Diagnostics, add an extra 100MB to /usr.

Changes from the default for the 9GB boot disk:

/home     get-rid-of-it
(swap)    1536MB   swap  # swap+/+/stand has to  stay within 2048;
                         # 1536 (1.5G) is the only sane choice given
/tmp       128MB   VxFS  # Double the default
/opt       500MB   VxFS  # In the unlikely event we need it...
/var       700MB   VxFS  # Patches/Ignite-UX stuff can use this...
/usr       700MB   VxFS
/._disk1 all-remaining VxFS # LARGEFILES, please

The 36GB disk will be /._disk2 (LARGEFILES, please).

Red Hat Linux laptop with a 30G disk

/          250MB # tried 96MB, but installer liked 250 better
(swap)     512MB # to match main memory...
/tmp       128MB
/var       128MB
/usr      2048MB # 1.2G seems to be right for a KDE+Gnome
                 # (which is absurd), I just threw in some extra
/._disk1         # the rest
# /usr/local: omitted
# /opt: omitted

Red Hat Linux client with a 20G disk

/         2250MB # splitting / and /usr was a hassle, so stopped
(swap)     512MB # to match main memory...
/tmp       128MB
/var       128MB
/._disk1         # the rest

SunBlade 100 with 20GB disk and 640MB main memory

Solaris 8; did as `AutoLayout' suggested, and went for all suggested partitions; then `customized' as follows:

/             88MB # as suggested
/var         256MB # up from  32MB
(swap)      1024MB # up from 295MB
/opt         128MB # up from  25MB (just in case)
/usr        1200MB # up from 787MB
/usr/openwin 500MB # up from 334MB
/._disk1     ....  # what was left

Sun Ultra-10 with 2 9GB disks and 700MB main memory

Solaris 8; did as `AutoLayout' suggested, but without a separate /usr/openwin partition; then customized as shown:

/           68MB # as suggested
/var       256MB # up from  30MB
(swap)    1024MB # up from 295MB
/opt       256MB # up from  25MB (NB: we put ClearCase there)
/usr      1200MB # up from 973MB
/._disk1   ....  # what was left
/._disk2   ....  # the whole second disk (added later)

HP-UX11 box with 2GB+4GB disks, striped together, used as Ignite-UX server

Ignite-UX uses lots of space in /var, and a little extra in /opt -- be generous.

Changes from the default:

/home     get-rid-of-it
(swap)    1024MB   swap  # just 2 x physical memory (lacking a better idea)
/tmp       128MB   VxFS  # Double the default
/opt       500MB   VxFS
/var      1200MB   VxFS  # Patches/Ignite-UX stuff can use this...
/._disk1 all-remaining VxFS # LARGEFILES, please

Red Hat Linux on Compaq DeskPro, 64MB, a 2G disk, a 500M disk

# 500M disk:
(swap)     256MB # to match main memory, plus a little...
/tmp        64MB
/var       195MB # the rest, really

# 2G disk:
/          all of it

Sun SPARCstation-20 with 1GB disk and 96MB main memory

(Actually, another disk will go on as /._disk1; this is just what I did with the system disk.)

Because it's a small disk, I did a whole-disk root, except for a /var, which I always fear filling up.

/          750MB # down from 860 recc. by AutoLayout
(swap)     128MB # what AutoLayout suggested
/var       113MB # up from 13 recc by AutoLayout