Manual partitioning and /var size

Hi!

For the classic Fedora, the recommended partitioning scheme is described in great detail in the “Installation guide using Anaconda”. The average value of the volume of the / partition is 25 GB and the recommended size of the /var partition is at least 3 GB.

In Fedora Silverblue, as I understand all applications are installed in the /var partition. This may be the reason for reducing the size of the / partition and increasing the size of the /var partition.

Is there a recommended partitioning scheme for Fedora Silverblue? Or is the recommended size of the /var partition, similar to how the size of the / partition (containing also /usr) is recommended for a classic Fedora from 25 to 75 GB (depending on the number of applications that are planned for installation)?

Thanks

Does this help:
Installing Fedora Silverblue :: Fedora Docs

I read this.

Unfortunately, the dimensions are not specified here.

For example, in Fedora, the size of / and /usr is recommended to be 25 GB. In Silverblue, applications are installed in /var and not in /usr. Will the size / partition of 12 GB be enough (in CoreOS the minimum recommended partition is 8 GB)?

/var is usually recommended from 3 to 7 GB, but this is not enough for silverblue?

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… in this guide, for example, it is not specified how much to reserve for /var/containers. If applications are installed here, then for one libreoffice should be allocated additionally 700 MB

I don’t think there is a “recommended” size because by default Silverblue will be installed on a btrfs filesystem with btrfs subvolumes instead of partitions. So it doesn’t really matter - each subvolume has the ability to use up as much space on the disk as they need or want to.

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I do not get where it recommends a size for /var for fedora.
This from the fedora docs about installing and it does not anywhere show that /var should be a separate partition, let alone a size for it.

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Hi, guiltydoggy, computersavvy !

I thank you for your answers and attention to this post!

After I read your answers, I read the installation guide again - yes, you are 100% right, it doesn’t make sense to put /var in a separate partition, especially when using btrfs.

Initially, I was guided by "Installation guide using Anaconda@, the section “Recommended partitioning scheme”, this is the place:

  • The /var directory holds content for a number of applications, including the Apache web server, and is used by the DNF package manager to temporarily store downloaded package updates. Make sure that the partition or volume containing /var has at least 3 GB.
  • The contents of the /var directory usually change very often. This may cause problems with older solid state drives (SSDs), as they can handle a lower number of read/write cycles before becoming unusable. If your system root is on an SSD, consider creating a separate mount point for /var on a classic (platter) HDD.

Thank you very much!

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That guide is a bit outdated, as it was created when drives were much smaller and often small drives meant little extra space was available.

At that time the very volatile file system on /var could crash the system if it was part of / and the file system filled up due to /var/log, /var/spool/mail, /var/spool/news, etc. so it was always recommended to be kept separate to avoid the system crashes. With larger drives space is (mostly) no longer an issue so /var does not often need a separate partition (especially for home use).

This really depends. I Personally use a var partition usually with at least 20 GB minimum.
You can use lvm and sparing some free space in order to extend partitions later.
One thing to note. Most file systems can be extended easily, shrinking sometimes can be difficult.

Of course it depends. LVM was not available when Linux was new. Things change and system usage changes. Drive sizes change as well. 1 TB and larger drives were not available 15 years ago either but are common in most home systems today.

Each person can do as they choose and guidelines are just that. Guides, not hard and fast rules of what must be done.

I was speaking of conditions as they generally were at the time that guide was new, not as things are today. As I said, for todays systems

What you choose to use is up to you.