I’ve been setting up Linux for around 30 years, experimenting with different configurations along the way. In recent years, I’ve been trying various partition setups to optimize performance. For about 10 years now, I’ve been using separate disks for /home, /root, and /usr. While this setup was an improvement, it didn’t quite deliver the performance I was looking for.
That all changed when I discovered LVM (Logical Volume Manager). With LVM, I can create logical volumes that span multiple physical disks, providing a level of flexibility and redundancy that’s hard to achieve with traditional partitioning. In my case, I’ve set up two groups - vg_data and vg_root - each containing multiple logical volumes.
The benefits of this setup are numerous. For one, it allows me to easily resize or reconfigure my logical volumes as needed, without having to worry about data loss or downtime. Additionally, LVM’s built-in mirroring and snapshotting features provide an extra layer of protection against disk failures or corruption.
Today, I put my LVM setup to the test by watching a video on Hyponotix TV while simultaneously running a timeshift and backup process in the background. I also set up some games using Lutris and played one game - Road Rash - without experiencing any lag or performance degradation. The result? A seamless and enjoyable computing experience that’s only possible with LVM.
My message to anyone considering setting up Linux is this: don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things. In my case, switching from traditional partitioning to LVM has been a game-changer. Not only have I achieved better performance and reliability, but I’ve also gained the flexibility to adapt to changing needs and circumstances.
That should not be necessary… you can use partitions.
I would use a separate disk for Windows though… its updates can ruin grub. … but for several linuxes, partitions are fine.
Seems to me LVM has a design problem with its snapshots.
Snapshots have the same UUID as the disk from which they were sourced.
This could cause boot problems and mounting problems.
There must be a workaround? LVM has been around for ages.
This is what I did: I created my own unique UUID for a dedicated backup disk, which was a separate physical disk outside of my main LVM volume group. This prevented the filesystem confusion and potential boot problems we discussed, as it avoided duplicate UUIDs entirely.
I’ve decided I won’t mess with my primary production LVM volumes now; making changes seems too risky. To me, adding a new physical disk is the safest way to proceed for new storage needs. My preferred strategy is adding new disks to separate volume groups and designating those groups for specific purposes, such as backups or installing other Linux distributions. This approach ensures isolation and simplicity, making management much safer.
@Daniel_Phillips@nevj
Sticking to one operating system is a very smart approach. I stick to one only; I don’t want to even bother with any others.
‘Distro hopping’ is not for the experienced user who has already made up their mind about their environment. We Linux users don’t need Windows—we are already exactly where we want to be, fully established within our preferred environment.
In my case, Gentoo is about all that will run on my old hardware, other than linuxfromscratch, wich I run headless and using grub to boot Gentoo and W11!!! Works really well!!!
I use W11 on my two laptops and my main work computer!! Do I need Windows, NO, but have not found a suitable Linux to replace W11 with, except maybe in VirtualBox VM!!!