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diff --git a/chapter03/creatingpart.xml b/chapter03/creatingpart.xml index af0741e81..7a5e77f9a 100644 --- a/chapter03/creatingpart.xml +++ b/chapter03/creatingpart.xml @@ -2,42 +2,37 @@ <title>Creating a new partition</title> <?dbhtml filename="creatingpart.html" dir="chapter04"?> -<para>It is possible to build LFS on only one partition - the partition -in which your original distribution is installed. While this is not -recommended for your first LFS installation, it may be useful if you -are short on disk space. If you feel brave, take a look at the -<emphasis>Install LFS next to existing systems on the same -partition</emphasis> hint at <ulink -url="&hints-root;lfs_next_to_existing_systems.txt"/>.</para> +<para>In order to build our new Linux system, we will need some space: +an empty disk partition. If you don't have a free partition, and no room +on any of your hard disks to make one, then you could build LFS on the +same partition as the one on which your current distribution is installed. +This procedure is not recommended for your first LFS install, but if you +are short on disk space, and you feel brave, take a look at the hint at +<ulink url="&hints-root;lfs_next_to_existing_systems.txt"/>.</para> -<para>Before we can build our new Linux system, we need an empty -Linux partition where we can build it. We recommend a partition size -of at least 1 GB. This provides enough space to store the tarballs and -compile all of the packages. You will probably need more space if you -intend to install additional software and use the LFS system as your -primary Linux system. If a Linux native partition is already available, -this subsection can be skipped.</para> +<para>For a minimal system you will need a partition of around 1 GB. +This is enough to store all the source tarballs and compile all the packages. +But if you intend to use the LFS system as your primary Linux system, you +will probably want to install additional software, and will need more space +than this, probably around 2 or 3 GB.</para> -<para>Since your system memory can only hold a limited amount of data -at one time, we recommend that disk space be set aside for swap files. -A swap file is a place where items in memory may be stored until they -are called for. This disk space may be shared between your host system -and your LFS system. If you already have a swap partition, then you -probably don't need to create another one. Otherwise, you should create -a swap partition via an fdisk program. Regardless, you need to remember -the designation of the swap partition (such as hda2) as it will be needed -when we create the <filename>/etc/fstab</filename> file.</para> +<para>As we almost never have enough RAM in our box, it is a good idea to +use a small disk partition as swap space -- this space is used by the kernel +to store seldom-used data to make room in memory for more urgent stuff. +The swap partition for your LFS system can be the same one as for your host +system, so you won't have to create another if your host system already uses +a swap partition.</para> -<para>The cfdisk program (or another fdisk-like program) should be -started with the appropriate hard disk as the argument (like /dev/hda -if a new partition is to be created on the primary master IDE disk). -Using this program, create a Linux native partition. Please refer to -the documentation of your fdisk program (the man pages are often a -good place to start) for information about creating Linux native -partitions and writing partition tables.</para> +<para>Start the <filename>cfdisk</filename> program with as argument the name +of the hard disk upon which the new partition must be created -- for example +<filename>/dev/hda</filename> for the primary IDE disk. Create a Linux native +partition, and if needed a swap partition. Please refer to the man page of +<filename>cfdisk</filename> if you don't yet know how to use the program.</para> -<para>The designation of your new partition should be remembered. -It might be something similar to hda11. This newly created partition -will be referred to as the LFS partition in this book.</para> +<para>Remember the designation of your new partition -- something like +<filename>hda5</filename>. This book will refer to it as the LFS partition. +If you (now) also have a swap partition, remember its designation too. These +names will later be needed for the <filename>/etc/fstab</filename> file.</para> </sect1> + |