2.2. Creating a New Partition

#### Cross-Compiled Linux From Scratch - Version 1.0.0rc1-PowerPC

### Chapter 2. Preparing a New Partition

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# 2.2. Creating a New Partition

Like most other operating systems, CLFS is usually installed on a dedicated partition. The recommended approach to building a CLFS system is to use an available empty partition or, if you have enough unpartitioned space, to create one. However, a CLFS system (in fact even multiple CLFS systems) may also be installed on a partition already occupied by another operating system and the different systems will co-exist peacefully. The document http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/hints/downloads/files/lfs_next_to_existing_systems.txt explains how to implement this, whereas this book discusses the method of using a fresh partition for the installation.

A minimal system requires a partition of around 1.3 gigabytes (GB). This is enough to store all the source tarballs and compile the packages. However, if the CLFS system is intended to be the primary Linux system, additional software will probably be installed which will require additional space (2-3 GB). The CLFS system itself will not take up this much room. A large portion of this requirement is to provide sufficient free temporary storage. Compiling packages can require a lot of disk space which will be reclaimed after the package is installed.

Because there is not always enough Random Access Memory (RAM) available for compilation processes, it is a good idea to use a small disk partition as swap space. This is used by the kernel to store seldom-used data and leave more memory available for active processes. The swap partition for an CLFS system can be the same as the one used by the host system, in which case it is not necessary to create another one.

Open Firmware and the Mac OS's impose certain requirements on partitioning. This is discussed in Appendix E. In particular, you cannot use fdisk, you will need an `apple_bootstrap` partition, and that should precede any OSX partition.

Start a disk partitioning program such as parted with a command line option naming the hard disk on which the new partition will be created—for example `/dev/hda` for the primary Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) disk. Create at least an apple bootstrap partition, a Linux native partition, and a swap partition, if needed. Please refer to `parted(8)` if you do not yet know how to use the programs.

Remember the designation of the new partition (e.g., `hda5`). This book will refer to this as the CLFS partition. Also remember the designation of the swap partition. These names will be needed later for the `/etc/fstab` file. You will also need to know the designation of the apple_bootstrap partition for the `yaboot.conf` when you set this up before you run ybin.

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