How should I partition my 500gb nvme 3.0 drive for arch linux?
How should I partition my 500gb nvme 3.0 drive for arch linux?
The wiki provides instructions on this process. For best results, consider creating an LVM volume using only the EFI partition, swap partition, and root partition. Many users opt for a separate partition dedicated to their home folder; however, if migration is necessary, simply transferring the folder contents works easily.
The idea that a separate /home partition is "clunky" doesn't hold up. You should always keep your /home on another drive. If the OS fails and you lack a standalone /home, copying everything might not be possible. Even with limited space, you won't have room to relocate files. This setup aims for a 500-750MB EFI System Partition (FAT32, boot enabled) at /boot/efi, around 60GB ext4 at /home, and the remainder as ext4 or linux-swap. It's best to start with Manjaro rather than Arch. Learn how an Arch-based system functions, then after a while you can experiment installing it in a VM. Once comfortable, you might try a real installation. Because your /home stays separate, simply install the OS on the root drive, add the partition to /etc/fstab, and everything should work as expected.
The setup doesn’t require a distinct partition for "/home." Copying the full contents from one install to another can lead to issues with settings and references to missing or altered files, which may cause problems. Instead, consider linking important directories or storing data on a separate mounted partition. A larger EFI partition isn’t necessary—512MiB should suffice, and 300MiB is typically adequate. You don’t need an oversized EFI partition; it only contains boot files. F2FS and XFS are better file systems than ext4 for many scenarios. With 16GB RAM, a 32GB swap space isn’t essential unless you’re using hibernation. Opt for around 8GB if needed, and a managed swapfile could be more suitable. The choice of partitioning method depends on your specific requirements—there’s no universal correct or wrong approach. It’s wise to evaluate different file systems and options like LVM or BTRFS subvolumes.
512mb allocated for /boot and swap (swap is built into the Linux kernel—make sure it’s enabled), and if you intend to use hibernation, ensure your system RAM meets the requirements. For root access, aim for at least 60gb of RAM in / unless you’re using lightweight packages like flatpak or snaps, in which case 30gb should suffice. The remaining disk space can be reserved for /home.
I was thinking about this and wanted to share some advice. Using a swap file offers more flexibility later on, since you can easily adjust its size once you understand your needs. It’s also wise to align your system memory with hibernation settings—keeping only half of the RAM as swap might lead to issues.