7.3 SunOS 5.X

7.3.4 Partition Planning

All partitions can now be adjusted during SunInstall. You no longer need to run format before starting the installation. Unbundled applications usually have a default installation directory of /opt (for optional). Packages that might previously have tried to install into /usr/lang or /usr/local now suggest /opt/SUNWxxx as their default directory.

Its now possible to have smaller swap space than RAM, as idle processes are not automatically swapped out. This was discussed in the section on swapfs in an earlier chapter.

Sun's suggestions for disk partitioning are as follows. I would suggest that for a server you increase / and /opt, and add a /var partition. For a standalone machine you might have only two partitions: one for the software and one for swap.

Server Disk Partitions, always
File System Minimum Default Maximum Req. My Recommendation
/ (root) 12 Mbytes 16 Mbytes 17 Mbytes 20 Mbytes
swap 80 Mbyte 3 times the memory varies varies
/usr 30 Mbytes 160 Mbytes 181 Mbytes 220 Mbytes
/opt 5 Mbytes 5 Mbytes varies varies
/var none part of / none 30 Mbytes; larger for servers

Client SunOS Version File System Each Diskless Client Each Release
5.X /export/root 20 Mbytes 10 Mbytes
/export/swap 24 Mbytes
/export/exec 15 Mbytes
4.X /export/root 16 Mbytes
/export/exec 15 Mbytes/sun4 client arch 80 Mbytes

Server Disk Partitions, always
File System	Minimum	Default	Maximum Req.	My Recommendation
/ (root)	12 Mbytes	16 Mbytes	17 Mbytes	20 Mbytes
swap	80 Mbyte	3 times the memory	varies	varies
/usr	30 Mbytes	160 Mbytes	181 Mbytes	220 Mbytes
/opt	5 Mbytes	5 Mbytes	varies	varies
/var	none	part of /	none	30 Mbytes; larger for servers

Client SunOS Version	File System	Each Diskless Client	Each Release
5.X	/export/root	20 Mbytes	10 Mbytes
	/export/swap	24 Mbytes
	/export/exec		15 Mbytes
4.X	/export/root	16 Mbytes
	/export/exec	15 Mbytes/sun4 client arch	80 Mbytes

Unix System Administration - 8 AUG 1996

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