partition question

I wonder since I am about to setup a new OS on my server. Why do people like to parition the HD into several partions instead of just one big partition? In Windows/DOS environment, the idea of having a partition is to reduce the cluster size so that a 1KB file size would take only 8KB of space instead of 32KB of space, for example ...

But is this still the same with Linux formatted drives? What is the pro and contra of using a single and large partition (as / ) and a much smaller swap partition and put /home, /usr, /var, /, etc off that single partition? I see nothing harm be done and in fact I can see an additional benefits to do so. Currently on my other server, I only have 256 MB for /var . And it's getting about 86% filled (due to mysql db files). If I have only one single partition, then I don't need to worry this partition be filled up too much ...

BTW, just a little quote from Osborne's Linux Administration: A beginner's guide (2nd edition), p. 27

Now you see why it is a good idea to create multiple partitions on a disk rather than a single large parition ... As you become more familiar with the hows and whys of paritioning disks under Linux, you may choose to go back to a single large partition. At that point, of course, you will have enough knowledge of both systems to understand why one may work better for you than the other

Hence, the book seems to suggest that at one point I should consider using a single large partition, yet there are still benefits (pro/contra) on using either options. So, anybody will list these pro/contra?

Also, if I have 30GB of HD, how should I partition it (if I decide to use multiple partitions) the HD? Any rule of thumb as to how large each partions should be?

Any inputs will be appreciated.

cheers,
partition question

 

 

 

 

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