Partitioning the Disk for OS/2 with the Workplace Shell

A commonly asked question is "Is it more convenient to have one large disk partition than several smaller ones?" We do not believe that single disk partitions are the correct approach for OS/2 V2.0 workstations.

Single partitions have certain advantages. They optimize the use of available disk space because both the operating system and applications can use what they need while not leaving unused space in the respective partitions.

They are also simpler to set up. There can be logistical problems with multiple partitions, such as allocating enough space for dynamic system files such as the desktop, the SWAPPER.DAT and print spooler.

On the other hand, there are several disadvantages to the single partition approach.

  • Multiple partitions let you keep system and user files separate so that the system partition can be re-formatted if necessary. This can be very important when planning to install a CSD or a new version of the operating system.

  • Performance can be impaired when a partition contains lots of directories. For example, opening a tree view can take a long time on a large disk.

  • Support for multiple operating systems or versions of the same operating system requires multiple partitions to be manageable.


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