I came in late here, but if the original question had something to do with how to partition, the OS 8.1 (Probably later ones too) disk tools disk(s) have a hard disk partitioning tool on them. That's what I used when I wanted to install Yellow Dog Linux on my PowerMac 7300 along side OS 7.6.1. (I know 7.6.1 is old, but I don't own anything higher, and 7.6.1 is free.)
Cheers, ES ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Elmo" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "PCI PowerMacs" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2003 7:05 PM Subject: Re: Partitioning: What/Where? > Unless you have a special reason, there is no point in partitioning. And, > sure, there are reasons to have such. What are yours exactly? I ask not to > be inquisitive but to suggest this approach would help you think through the > issues. If, say, it is to have a part that is easily wiped and defragged and > always ready for efficient caching etc then there would be no need to have > it as a start up disk and so no need for an OS. If you want to operate > different OSs like 8.6, 9.1 etc then this would be a good reason and then > the question of having to put an OS on each would answer itself. > > As for the specific questions I am sure you will get good answers from many > good folk on the list. In a yellow book that came with an old Norton's > Utilities (like 3.something) there was a very nice account of Hard Disks - > may have been written by Peter Norton. I will see if there is an online > version in the help files on another computer I have. It was a beauty and I > recommend it. Here are some remarks you may find helpful re specific > questions: > > I'd be very surprised if an alias of an OS would work. The computer needs to > boot before it understands the alias system surely? > > In general, you do not need an OS on a volume (think HD, virtual or > otherwise) if you don't need to start from it. > > All volumes on a HD spin together, there's no saving on spindle wear. > > Once you are booted up and all the volumes are mounted or recognised by the > OS, any app on any disk should load into memory and fire up as long as any > of its special needs are met: eg. it may need an extension which needs to > have been loaded at start up on the start up disk. So it is no use having a > set of extensions on the start up disk that is not appropriate to the app > concerned. In general! I would not be surprised if some apps need to be on > the start up disk even though this is not fathomable from first principles - > I have discovered that all things happen in this world somewhere. Aliases > of things on the start up should work fine in this context. > > In general, if there is a facility in any particular software for you to > assign a scratch disk or cache in disk space, you can choose whatever volume > (think HD, (partitioned creation or not) you like. In fact, Photoshop used > to recommend you assign a whole volume for the scratch for efficient > operation - a guaranteed nice clean empty defragged block ... > > A RAM disk is not "on" any hard disk, rather it is in RAM, fast electronic > chip based storage. It is a disk in the sense that an area of RAM is > reserved for storing things that are more conventionally written to HD > space. It is a Virtual Volume (HD) in chipspace. VM or Virtual Memory proper > (an area of HD is assigned to augment real chip RAM) can be assigned to any > volume you like in the memory control panel > > > david_elmo > > > > > > > Message-Id: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2003 10:11:33 -0400 > > From: Dave Checkman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Subject: Partitioning: What/Where? > > > > I've slogged along for quite a while now with a home-made > > partitioning scheme on my PowerMac 6500 (OS 9.2.2 and 120 GB memory). > > But, I'm not sure if I've accomplished anything of note. Basically, > > I've used "content" type as the basis for each partition, e.g. "Main" > > (System file and main applications), "Audio" (all audio-related > > apps), "Publishing" (all word processing and related software) and a > > "Scratch" partition (a huge partition for downloading music, etc.). > > > > Now, I discovered I don't know some basic stuff that I can't seem to > > find answers to. I'll list the questions in no particular order; > > > > 1) Do I have to install the core OS System file in each partition? > > (Dumb question right?) I have it set up that way now. The reason: as > > I remember, some applications on a partition wouldn't "work" (error > > messages, etc.) unless the System file was there with them. > > > > The second part to this: if the System file has to be repeated in > > each partition, will it work if I put in an *aliased* System file in > > all but my "Main" partition where I've got the actual file? > > > > Third part: will I be able (as I can now) select, say, "Publishing" > > to be the "start-up" volume if the actual System file is not on that > > partition? > > > > 2) Do I have to separately install the originals of some applications > > in each partition? For example, after I installed Stuffit Deluxe in > > my "Main" partition, I made an alias of the app icon and installed it > > on "Publishing". But, no dice, the alias wouldn't work there. And, as > > I recall, the same happened for my Epson printer; I had to install > > the whole Epson file again in "Publishing". Another example: just > > installing my Sonnet Crescendo driver software on "Main" (I thought > > it would take effect on the entire hard drive) left the other > > partitions back in their original slow-as-molasses state. > > > > 3) And then there's the matter of "splitting up" components of a > > single piece of software. For example, some partitioning-advice > > sources say it's good to move various temporary *cache* files onto > > the "Scratch" partition. Put your printer cache files there, and so > > on. I'm not sure I'd correctly identify the correct cache's that can > > be moved, but can this be done without "hurting anything"? > > > > As another example, I want to set up a RAM disk for a couple of the > > browsers I've got. I may be exceptionally "thick" about doing this, > > but I can't figure out whether I have to keep that RAM disk on the > > same volume/partition as the browser or if it's okay to put it, say, > > in my "Scratch" partition. > > > > I think you get the picture. I'm at sea about assigning stuff between > > partitions and about the need to duplicate-install a lot of stuff on > > each partition. Help! Thanks. > > > > > > Dave > > > -- > PCI-PowerMacs is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... > > Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | > -- Sonnet & PowerLogix Upgrades - start at $169 | & CDRWs on Sale! | > > Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> > > PCI-PowerMacs list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/pci-powermacs.shtml> > --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; > Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Archive:<http://www.mail-archive.com/pci-powermacs%40mail.maclaunch.com/> > > Using a Mac? Free email & more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com -- PCI-PowerMacs is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Sonnet & PowerLogix Upgrades - start at $169 | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> PCI-PowerMacs list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/pci-powermacs.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive:<http://www.mail-archive.com/pci-powermacs%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Mac? Free email & more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
