Re: [gentoo-dev] supporting /usr on separate partition

[Sven Vermeulen]

On Mon, Oct 17, 2011 at 01:50:04PM -0400, Ian Stakenvicius wrote:
> > If someone wants to take on the burden of maintaining an init wrapper
> > like that, then I guess that's fine. However, I wouldn't consider it to
> > be an absolute requirement. I think it would be fine (maybe preferable)
> > to simply provide a doc that describes how to mount /usr via an
> > initramfs or linuxrc init wrapper. Such a doc would only be needed by
> > those users who require that /usr be on a separate partition.
>
> This makes sense.  So the Handbook could be updated with a caveat after
> the large partition example to say something like "/usr on it's own
> partition needs special consideration, please see XXXXX" ... this$
> works.

(Ian, it's a general reply, not specific to your e-mail)

I've updated the Gentoo Handbook just a few moments ago to mention something
like this in the introduction of the partition section "How Many and How
Big":

--Snippet from the commit result:
  <p>
  However, multiple partitions have disadvantages as well. If not configured
  properly, you will have a system with lots of free space on one partition
  and none on another. Another nuisance is that separate partitions - especially
  for important mountpoints like <path>/usr</path> or <path>/var</path> -
  often require the administrator to boot with an initramfs to mount the partition
  before other boot scripts start. This isn't always the case though, so YMMV.
  </p>
  
  <p>
  There is also a 15-partition limit for SCSI and SATA unless you use GPT
  labels.
  </p>
--End Snippet

Now, I must say I find it strange that people think that the Gentoo Handbook
suggests users to use a separate /usr partition. It does not. The default
partitioning that we use is a separate /boot (yes, this can and has been
debated in the past, I'm not going to change this) and / with a separate
swap partition. Nothing more, nothing less. There are a few code listings
where an example output is given which holds a separate /usr but I hope all
those listings are clear that they are examples.

It also states that this is an example we use in the Gentoo Handbook and
that it depends on the user how he wants his partition scheme layed out.

I'm hoping that the above update clarifies this sufficiently so that huge
threads like this one don't need to reappear again ;-) If you think it is
still unclear or needs improvements left or right, don't hesitate to mail me
or, even better, file a bugreport (I act better on bug reports than on
e-mails).

Oh, and I use a separate /usr with no initramfs (yet), with software raid 
and lvm2. 

/me quickly hides

Wkr,
	Sven Vermeulen