Re: New dual-boot laptop with two SSD drives: should I use LVM (and I have no experience with it)?
On Fri, 2019-04-12 at 09:41 -0500, Tom Browder wrote:
> I've been using Linux for over 20 years, and Debian for over 10, but
> I've always used conventonal partitions and /etc/fstab definitions.
>
> Now that I'm getting a virgin, up-to-date laptop, I am considering
> ising LVM but want to get the option of expert users: Should I go that
> route?
I would strongly recommend LVM as an option. I have used LVM on Linux -
and Debian - for as long as it has been available, and for some years
earlier on HP-UX.
As far as I know, it is no more likely to have failures than any other
disk layout, data recovery after failure is no harder. The only real
additional consideration is the need for the recovery machine and
software to understand enough about LVM, and any other Linux based
system can easily be used for that even if it does not intrinsically use
LVM.
In terms of management, it is a major advance over physical partitioning
for the file systems and, depending on particular file system
characteristics, allows you to get out of space problems without down
time in many cases (online resizing is available for jfs, xfs, I think
for ext2/3/4, and possibly others).
My recommendation is to use it unless you choose to use ZFS.
Regards,
Tom Dial
>
> Every thing I read says I should, but my reluctance in the the past
> has always been my comfort level with handling disk failures (I've had
> my share) and recovery of lost data. Note that most of my disk
> failures have been the computer interface and I have been able to read
> the "bad" disk from another computer via a USB inteface.
>
> I'm leaning toward using LVM but would appreciate any advice from LVM
> users.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Best regards,
>
> -Tom
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