Edit - Super User

You are not logged in. Your edit will be placed in a queue until it is peer reviewed.

We welcome edits that make the post easier to understand and more valuable for readers. Because community members review edits, please try to make the post substantially better than how you found it, for example, by fixing grammar or adding additional resources and hyperlinks.

6

+1. Also security. You can set /boot to be readonly or /tmp to be noexec, for example.
– DaveParillo
Commented Feb 8, 2010 at 21:05
I don't see why separate parts help with backup; you can just as well backup folders separately. Could you explain?
– sleske
Commented Apr 2, 2010 at 3:28
2

@sleske This is a historical artifact of the original Unix dump and restore commands, which would only work at the filesystem level. I ran into this when tape drives used 1/2 inch (I think) tapes on 1 foot diameter reals, in a drive about the size of a refrigerator. With some iron fillings, you could actually see the bits on the tape.
– KeithB
Commented May 13, 2010 at 15:57
Thanks for the info; I wasn't aware of that. I hope there's not too many shops that still backup using dump though... . BTW: Fascinating stuff about the old tapes :-).
– sleske
Commented May 16, 2010 at 17:27
Also stability. If you put /var on a separate partition, then log files that grow out of control won't fill up the rest of the drive (and potentially bring down the system). (edit - Just noticed Adrien pointed this out below. :)
– Charles Burge
Commented Oct 25, 2016 at 0:40

Add a comment |

Correct minor typos or mistakes
Clarify meaning without changing it
Add related resources or links
Always respect the author’s intent
Don’t use edits to reply to the author

create code fences with backticks ` or tildes ~
```
like so
```
add language identifier to highlight code
```python
def function(foo):
print(foo)
```
put returns between paragraphs
for linebreak add 2 spaces at end
_italic_ or **bold**
indent code by 4 spaces
backtick escapes `like _so_`
quote by placing > at start of line
to make links (use https whenever possible)
<https://example.com>
[example](https://example.com)
<a href="https://example.com">example</a>

formatting help »
answering help »