Re: Server install questions
On Fri, Jun 06, 2008 at 01:23:49PM -0400, Tenant wrote:
> 2. What will be the partitioning scheme?
>
> Damn if I know. I'd appreciate thoughts on whether to use 32/64 bit
> versions, and are there any established partitioning schemes (I
> always uesed defaults)
>
I think that the only apps that need 32-bit are desktop ones, but I
don't know on the server side if, for example, you want to
generate/serve flash or java content, what you need. Other than this,
go with amd64.
For partitioning, part of it depends on how you want to set things up.
are you doing software raid1? Will you use LVM to allow resizing of
partitions (even migrating to different devices online)?
I use LVM over software raid1 and here's how I have it:
1. Grub can't read LVM so you need a /boot partition big enough to
hold a couple of kernels. I was generous with 32 MB for /boot. This fs
is directly on md0.
md1 is used as the physical device for LVM which is then split up.
2. Since I separate everything else out, I went with a 480 MB /, of
which I am using 182 MB. Between / and /boot, it comes to 512MB. On my
bix box this is meaningless, on my smaller old boxes its important.
3. I have a /usr of 4GB and I'm using 1.8 GB.
4. I have a /var of 4 GB and I'm using 2.1 GB.
5. On my desktop I run an i386 chroot in /srv on its own 2 GB LV.
6. I have a /home of 10 GB.
Keep things split up so that if something messes up a filesystem it
doesn't necessarily bring down the box. Be especially careful to split
up /var for your server needs. Ideally, keep the variable data you
serve on a separate filesystem from the main system. Depending on what
you use for backup, this may make life easier.
Read the LVM HOWTO (in the doc-linux-howto packages) to see how easy it
is to resize, move around, etc, the LVMs.
Read the fhs that comes with the debian policy manual package to see how
things can be split. If you will be adding third-party large packages,
you may want an LV for /opt. You may need /srv.
In any event, if you go with LVM, this doesn't have to be fixed in stone
at install time. If you want to split something off onto its own
filesystem, just create the new LV, put a filesystem on it, mount it
somewhere, copy the stuff, unmount it, change fstab, change the name of
the old directory (so you have it to test), and remount in the new spot.
Test, then remove the old renamed directory. If a filesystem is too
small, enlarge the LV, then grow the fs. All can be done on-line;
schedule a reboot to ensure everything comes up OK before you forget
what you did.
Good luck.
Doug.
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