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41.

Alternatively, it is possible to create multiple partitions of differing sizes into which different types of applications, libraries and data can be placed. This is often used in a multi-user or server environment where user data is kept separate from system programmes, log files and configuration files. A significant benefit to this can be seen when there is a problem on the system and log files start to grow. The log files (in one partition) will not consume all available disk space in this scenario because they will be confined to their own (small) partition of the physical disk.

42.

Which ever partitioning scheme has been chosen, this is not set in stone. It is possible to use a partition editing utility to resize partitions (subject to sufficient free space in each partition), however this is quite an advanced topic, and generally nto done while the system is in use.

43.

Whilst it is possible to change the disk partitioning layout after the system has been installed, it is important to make backups before making any changes to the partitions.

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About filesystems

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Partitioning a disk is only the beginning. Once the disk has been divided up, those partitions need to be formatted so that the operating system can place files on the disk in a structured manner. There are many different filesystem types, each with their own advantages. With Microsoft Windows the two main filesystems are FAT (File Allocation Table) and NTFS (New Technology File System). With Ubuntu there are many options including ext2, ext3, reiserfs, xfs and many others. The Ubuntu installer chooses ext3 by default, but of course it is possible to override this.

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Nice to Know:

47.

ext3 is a great general purpose journalling filesystem. It handles most tasks well however, xfs is sometimes chosen instead on media-centre systems as it performs better when handling very large files - such as music and video files.

48.

Mount points

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A mount point is a place in the directory hierarchy where a filesystem could be presented. There is no real Microsoft Windows equivalent to this. With Microsoft Windows the partitions C:, D: and so on, are seen as entirely separate entities so the operating system, applications and data is often referred to by a user as being "on the C: drive" or "in a folder on the D: drive".

50.

"Mount" is the term used when referring to a filesystem being made available for access. CD and DVDs are usually automatically mounted when they are inserted. The same goes for USB connected devices such as memory sticks, hard disks and music players.