The Linux file layout differs from Windows, with drives attached to particular folders in the directory tree. Your root folder resides on the 30GB partition, while the 200GB should appear in your home directory (/home/carson). Because the tool doesn’t show free space, it likely hasn’t been mounted yet. Have you restarted after these adjustments? Could you share the contents of /etc/fstab?
In Linux, software is usually placed in /bin or /usr/bin, which means the storage needed is limited to just that directory. This can explain why there’s so little space left—it doesn’t address the root issue.
Yes, it's also suitable to place software in the root directory. Although there would be ample space for personal files, installing additional programs later could become challenging. Ideally, use a faster SSD for the root partition and allocate sufficient space for your desired home directory.
In Linux, the system follows a tree-like layout, with / as the main root. When you mount a partition in a specific folder, that folder and its subfolders will only use that particular partition. For example, mounting /dev/nvme0n1p5 with 30GB on the root and a new partition at /home/carson with 200GB, your home directory will have about 200GB available, while everything else stays around 30GB. The issue arises because most programs won<|pad|> can’t install properly in the ~200GB space, since it’s limited. The exact setup for /home needs special handling because it has unique requirements. If you’re unsure, it’s best not to change it unless you understand why. It’s safer to keep just the fat32 partition and a dedicated root partition (maybe add a small swap space), ensuring the root has at least 50GB. The only reliable way I know is to reinstall the OS and set everything up correctly, and always back up your data before making changes.