3.1.2. About partitioning
Most people have a
vague knowledge of what partitions are, since almost every operating system has
the ability to create or remove them. Since Linux uses more than one partition
on the same disk, even when using the standard installation procedure, this may
seem strange at first.
The goal of having
different partitions is primarily to achieve higher data security in case of
disaster. By dividing the hard disk in partitions, data can be grouped and
separated. When an accident occurs, only the data in the partition that got the
hit will be damaged, while the data on the other partitions will most likely
survive.
This principle dates
from the days when Linux didn't have journaled file systems and power failures
might have lead to disaster. The use of partitions remains for security and
robustness reasons, so a breach on one part of the system doesn't automatically
mean that the whole computer is in danger. This is currently the most important
reason for partitioning.
Mind that having a
journaled file system only provides data security in case of power failure and
sudden disconnection of storage devices. This does not protect your data
against bad blocks and logical errors in the file system. In those cases, you
should use a RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) solution.
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