Setting up Linux Mint 19.1 on a second SSD is straightforward.
Setting up Linux Mint 19.1 on a second SSD is straightforward.
Prepare a partition that covers the entire storage space. The root directory will reside there, and no swap file will be needed. /home belongs to /root, and you won’t require a separate swap disk. There’s discussion about using an SSD for swap due to write limits; I already have a swap area for hibernation and occasional issues, but I rarely run out of space on my 16GB RAM. Advantages of a single /home partition on one drive: You can encrypt the entire volume, including files and folders. If you reinstall or switch the operating system, you can completely erase / and keep /home intact, avoiding backup restoration. If something corrupts the root file system, your /home data might still be safe. Perks of a unified partition: It eliminates the “can’t install or update because it’s full” problem. With one large volume, data moves freely wherever space allows. Simpler management overall. If you plan to run an OS and use it normally for years, this choice becomes easy to overlook. The main strength lies in being able to attach /home and swap across different drives when space permits, though that’s more of a side note.
You organized your system by creating a root directory and an 8GB swap partition. The SSD was initially 240GB but was adjusted to 220GB based on BIOS detection. A /home directory stores personal files such as documents, photos, downloads, and installed programs.
This setup means you'll always have a /home folder available. It serves as the main location for your Documents, Pictures, and other important directories—similar to how C:\Users functions in Windows. The Mint installation lets you assign this folder its own dedicated partition. Since you're coming from a Windows background, it's likely you're familiar with traditional file systems but haven't worked with Unix structures before. A short guide: In Windows, each logical drive gets a unique letter, and each letter has its own directory hierarchy. Unix uses just one main directory, the root (/, like a single trunk). All other folders branch off from there. When you connect a storage device, its partitions are added to specific spots in that hierarchy. Mint usually lets you designate /home, /opt, or even /var on separate partitions—this is optional. If left unselected, these areas will simply appear as subdirectories inside the root partition. The actual physical drives and their partitions are stored as files within /dev, often named sda or sdb, while partitions on those drives are labeled with numbers like sda1 or sda2. Devices such as USB flash drives can automatically mount in /media/username/drivename if you choose. You're not required to place them anywhere specific; you have flexibility. The Unix model is more conceptual, so the layout of files doesn't always match the physical storage arrangement. For a clearer picture, there are many helpful tutorials on YouTube that walk through these concepts. *In Unix, everything is considered a file—from your hard drive to the network adapter, every component is treated as a file.*