Q on initial partitions for 30 Gig HD

[Mitch Maltenfort <mmalten@comcast.net>]

I'm getting a new computer and going to be putting Debian Woody 3.0r1 on 
it -- I've used Mandrake prior to this.

This new laptop will have a 30 Gig HD, and my reading indicates that 
ext2 file systems can run into performance problems on partitions over 6 
Gig.  

Brute-force math would suggest I divide into 5 6 Gig partitions, but of 
course 6 Gig is too much for something like /boot, /var, etc.  My current 
computer has 6 Gig and I don't even use all of _that_.

Can anyone advise on a good partitioning choice for a personal workstation 
for word processing and scientific programming? 

Thanks in advance.



-- 
Known oxymorons: entertainment news, youth culture, focus group.
Probationary: intellectual courage, organized religion, deferred gratification.