Disk Partitioning and File System Essentials 💽🛠️

📦 Understanding Disk Partitions

• Partitioning: A disk can be divided into segments called partitions, which act like separate sub-disks. Each partition can be managed independently and can have its own file system.

• Purpose: Partitions create the illusion of multiple disks on a single physical disk. For example, you can have one partition for Windows OS and another for Linux OS on the same disk.

🗃️ Partitions vs. Volumes

• Partition: A section of a disk that can be formatted with a file system.

• Volume: The formatted partition that is used to store files. While these terms are often used interchangeably, they are not the same.

🗂️ Partition Tables

• Partition Table: This table informs the OS how the disk is partitioned, including bootable partitions and space allocation.

  1. MBR (Master Boot Record):

  • Characteristics: Traditional scheme, mainly used by Windows.

  • Limitations: Supports disk sizes up to 2 TB and up to four primary partitions. To exceed these limits, one must use extended partitions containing logical partitions.

  2. GPT (GUID Partition Table):

  • Characteristics: Modern standard, supports larger disk sizes (over 2 TB) and allows for more partitions.

  • Compatibility: Required for UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) booting, which is the default BIOS for newer systems.

📈 Practical Application

• Partitioning and Formatting: In upcoming lessons, you will learn how to partition and format a USB drive for both Windows and Linux OS, using the appropriate partition table scheme for each system.

Understanding these basics of disk partitioning and file systems is crucial for IT support specialists to manage and configure disks effectively. Get ready to dive into practical tasks and apply these concepts hands-on! 🚀🔧