| Summary: | info on /boot partition confusing | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product: | [OLD] Docs-user | Reporter: | Dimitri Rizek <dimitrirz> |
| Component: | Gentoo Linux x86 Installation Guide | Assignee: | Docs Team <docs-team> |
| Status: | RESOLVED WONTFIX | ||
| Severity: | minor | CC: | bbj, enderson |
| Priority: | High | ||
| Version: | unspecified | ||
| Hardware: | All | ||
| OS: | Linux | ||
| Whiteboard: | |||
| Package list: | Runtime testing required: | --- | |
|
Description
Dimitri Rizek
2006-01-26 15:16:20 UTC
(In reply to comment #0) > yet the install docs implied that it was needed. No, they don't. Partition layout in HB is clearly mentioned as an example, one that works nicely for any newbie. If you know what you're doing, just do it. IMHO, this should go away from the manual. I don't a good reason for keeping this separate partition. I think that if someone needs a separate /boot partition, he knows how to do that. So I think the default partioning scheme should be swap and / (root). Maybe as an alternative, some part should explain how to mount directories in diferent partitions like /usr, /var, /boot and so on. In my entire life i've never used this /boot partition. I think it should be an FAQ or some other doc information, or there's some technical purpose for that partition scheme? Please, cut it out from the handbook... wontfix it was, wontfix it remains. I guess we will need to open a pool on the forum so that users can vote for this. I'm pretty sure the most people would refuse to use this. (In reply to comment #6) > I guess we will need to open a pool on the forum so that users can vote for > this. I'm pretty sure the most people would refuse to use this. > No, neysx already said "won't fix". Besides, from a security POV having a seperate /boot partition that isn't automounted is a Good Thing(tm) so it does have justification. It's been in the Handbook for that reason forever as far as I know and it's a good habit to have our NewToLinux users start learning from the beginning. it's easier to tell people that a sep /boot partition is optional than it is for users to try and figure out how to make one themselves we could update the "Default Partitioning Scheme" to say something like "Having a separate /boot is not required, take it or leave it." ya, i was just suggesting that it should be more clear that it is optional. For new users who want to daul boot with windows, making a /boot partition is quite difficult. It would require resizing and moving hte windows partition for a minor security enhacement. (In reply to comment #7) > No, neysx already said "won't fix". Besides, from a security POV having a > seperate /boot partition that isn't automounted is a Good Thing(tm) so it does > have justification. It's been in the Handbook for that reason forever as far as > I know and it's a good habit to have our NewToLinux users start learning from > the beginning. This is a good point. Also, a separate partition is nice if the user ever anticipates (or, especially if he doesn't!) reinstalling Gentoo. As often as I'm testing installation methods etc., it sure saves time and effort when I just reuse my existing /boot for each new install. (In reply to comment #9) > ya, i was just suggesting that it should be more clear that it is optional. For > new users who want to daul boot with windows, making a /boot partition is quite > difficult. It would require resizing and moving hte windows partition for a > minor security enhacement. Not at all. This is what extended partitions are for. IIRC, the only thing that can't go into an extended partition is swap; /boot and / can certainly be placed in an extended partition. (In reply to comment #10) > This is a good point. Also, a separate partition is nice if the user ever > anticipates (or, especially if he doesn't!) reinstalling Gentoo. As often as > I'm testing installation methods etc., it sure saves time and effort when I > just reuse my existing /boot for each new install. > I don't see this as a good reason. It should then tell users to create a separate /home also, which would surely saves time and effort when reusing partitions. It would still makes you share your partition with others distros or BSD's. I mean, a warning about this would be good for new users, as vapier proposed. If it saves your time, its good, but and for others? I feel most people avoid using a separate /boot, as they get advanced to Gentoo. A lot of people ask me about this recommended scheme, and I just use to say it's something you can choose, as for others partition schemes. > It would require resizing and moving hte windows partition for a > minor security enhacement. no it wouldnt > IIRC, the only thing that can't go into an extended partition is swap nah, swap can be just about anywhere nowadays Our handbook is so explained, why don't write the pros and cons about a separated /boot partition and leave for the user choose? Despite of that I think that separate /boot is useless (security is not a valid point here - if you get root on some box, you can trash it in many different ways, not limited to overwriting kernel image (which you can still do as root can mount /boot very easily and HW-switchable read-only disks aren't common today, AFAIK)) and that for example having separate /home would make more sense, we want to teach our users the concept of partitions and filesystems. If we had, say, one partition for / and another for /home, we'd receive a lot of complaints saying "hey, that suck, 20GB is too much for my rootfs" or "bah, hey man, I've stored some movies inside /tmp and it says that / is 96% full while I have plenty of space on my /home". In our current way, we show the users the way to work with separate partitions while not suggesting them to really divide they space among several pieces. <100 MB for /boot is not much nowadays so the users won't end with non-usable layout. And it's clearly mentioned that the partitioning scheme used is just an example. |
