Does it make sense to have multiple partitions?

[Sim085]

Hello, this might come as a strange question. However I really can't understand the need of multiple partitions.

In the past, before I discovered the use of the "Leave Out" option I used to make multiple partitions so I would have icons on the Workbench (ex: System, Games, Programs, Documents, etc). However with he "Leave Out" I mostly lost this reason to have multiple partitions.

I was therefore wondering; do you people still partition your disks in multiple partitions? If yes why?

[-Acid-]

I like 4 partitions for a drive. Mainly to keep things in order but also in case you need to format your drive, you can move data from one partition to another while you format then put it back. If using a massive drive you need to chop it up so you don't get problems with the old scsi.device and the 4gb limit for the boot partition, also multiple partitions makes it easier to have a couple of versions of workbench installed to boot from. Really it's just personal preference though.

[Devlin]

I have two, so I have a nice separate between WB and all the junk I'd potentially be installing to goof off with.

[Predseda]

It is very useful in the case your disk needs to be re-validated. You can see a big time difference when you have 100mb or 3gb partition.

[Amiga1992]

I have two like originally configured by Commodore. One for my system, one for everything else.
If the system partition gets crapped, it's easy to restore it back from an image or something, without touching the other partition at all!

Re: volume validation, only a problem if you still use shitty FFS.

[Leffmann]

I use one partition for each version of Workbench, and at least one extra partition that I can temporarily make bootable and copy one of the Workbenches into if I want to repartition it for some reason.

[Sandro]

Originally Posted by Sim085

Hello, this might come as a strange question. However I really can't understand the need of multiple partitions.

In the past, before I discovered the use of the "Leave Out" option I used to make multiple partitions so I would have icons on the Workbench (ex: System, Games, Programs, Documents, etc). However with he "Leave Out" I mostly lost this reason to have multiple partitions.

I was therefore wondering; do you people still partition your disks in multiple partitions? If yes why?

there is a bad costume in Amiga users making lot of partitions, is useless, wastes disk space and waste memory because each partition needs buffers
in the case of using pfs3 each partition must have at least 150 buffers, the recommended is 300,that's means for every 2 partitions you lost 600k of memory
The best is have only 1 partition or 2 partitions,workbench and work

[zipper]

With my 128MB on CSPPC + 16 MB no probs to use 1000 - 2000 buffers on a truckload of partitions.

[daxb]

Originally Posted by Sandro

in the case of using pfs3 each partition must have at least 150 buffers, the recommended is 300,

That is not true. Check out your PFS3 manual.

[Sandro]

Originally Posted by daxb

That is not true. Check out your PFS3 manual.

100 and 200 , is the same thing
for every 2 partitions you are wasting 400k

[Arnie]

What buffers do you need for FFS? I use FFS, never had a problem using the Commodore partitions, Workbench and Work.

[Sandro]

Originally Posted by Arnie

What buffers do you need for FFS? I use FFS, never had a problem using the Commodore partitions, Workbench and Work.

default is 30, but the partitions become slow when copying lot of small files
use at least 150 buffers

[Amiga1992]

Originally Posted by Sandro

in the case of using pfs3 each partition must have at least 150 buffers, the recommended is 300,that's means for every 2 partitions you lost 600k of memory

Not true at all, you can use 10 buffers. That's about 100KB.
Still making few partitions is a good practice.

[Thorham]

I currently have eight partitions on my A1200:

HD0: Workbench 248 MB
HD1: Software 993 MB
HD2: Data 2482 MB
HD3: SystemBackup 248 MB
--4 gig barrier--
HD4: Store1 16.8 GB
HD5: Store2 16.8 GB
HD6: Store3 16.8 GB
HD7: Music 33.7 GB

Why? Because it's more organized than having one huge partition.

[Retrofan]

I use to make three: System, Apps and Multimedia. You can imagine what do they have. If the HD is only 4Gb then I only make two partitions.

[daxb]

Originally Posted by Sandro

100 and 200 , is the same thing
for every 2 partitions you are wasting 400k

Hmm... maybe we have different PFS3 manuals? My says that buffers can be between 70 and 500 (each 1024 byte). So you can waste 70kb to 500kb memory. Recommended is between 150 and 250. With more then 2000 files 250 to 350 should be used.

[Sim085]

Thanks for all the replies. Having multiple operating systems on the same machine is an interesting idea.

I never had more than one operating system installed on the same amiga which is why this did not even cross my mind. I was wondering; how does it work?

If I create two partitions and install Workbench 1.3 on one partition and Workbench 3.1 on another partition how do I decide in which partition I want to boot into?

Is there something like grub loader for the amiga os?

Also would all the installations shown on workbench? Or there is a way how to hide which partitions show on Workbench depending in which amiga os you boot into? (for example if booting in Amiga OS 3.1 then partition with Amiga OS 1.3 would not show?).

[Amiga1992]

Originally Posted by Sim085

If I create two partitions and install Workbench 1.3 on one partition and Workbench 3.1 on another partition how do I decide in which partition I want to boot into?

1.3 HDs work differently to 2.x+ ones so I guess if you boot your machine with a 1.3 kickstart it would ONLY boot automatically from the 1.3 partition. Again this is a guess, I never had a 1.3 HD partition or any interest in KS1.3.

If you have 2.x and 3.x, the early startup menu will let you choose what partition or device you boot from.


But as for your original request, I think it is just fine to have everything compartmentalized in just one partition. You can use the "leave out" icons for order, and if you even wanted you can run different versions of the OS put in different folders of your HD provided you change all the system assigns.

I'd say if memory is short (like, standard 2MB Chip RAM), go for one partition. If you have some Fast RAM to spare, you can make more.

[daxb]

Instead of having an own partition for OS1.3 an alternative could be a RAD (it just needs around 1,5MB) if you have some RAM left. Of course it depends on for what do you want/need OS1.3? Its more or less a pain OS. Btw. there exists a WHDLoad slave for OS1.3.

[ReadOnlyCat]

Originally Posted by daxb

Hmm... maybe we have different PFS3 manuals? My says that buffers can be between 70 and 500 (each 1024 byte). So you can waste 70kb to 500kb memory. Recommended is between 150 and 250. With more then 2000 files 250 to 350 should be used.

How is this a waste?
This is a necessary compromise between speed and memory, it must be done for every file system, not just PFS. if you need speed, then add more buffers, if you need more memory then use less buffers and if you need both then pay for RAM or get over it.

Living is compromising, can't have your cake and eat it. But eating the cake is not a waste, it is just a choice.