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I am very new to Ubuntu, and I apologize beforehand if my terminology is incorrect. I'm constantly learning new things with all of this! I am working with Ubuntu 14.04 (I believe.) LTS.

I read very thorough instructions for using manual partitioning at Ubuntu installation titled: "How to Use Manual Partitioning During Installation?" Although I found this extremely helpful (even the additional comments), I am still confused about part of this process.

In the steps for using manual partitioning on a clean disk, it was recommended to assign the "/" root fs as logical. However, at the end of the instructions, it was suggested that for MBR scheme disks "/" root fs be assigned as primary.

The computer I am working on did, at one point, have an MBR partition set-up on it. However, after several mishaps, the partitions that were automatically placed, were wiped out. From what I can tell, the hard disk no longer has any such partitions.

My questions are in regards to the "/" root fs partition, the (optional) "/boot" partition, the "/tmp" partition, and the "/var" partition. In the step-by-step instructions that I read, initially it was instructed to set "/" root fs to logical. Later it was recommended to set this partition to primary for MBR schemed disks.

Given my hard disks current state, am I better off (or is it recommended) to set "/" root fs as primary or logical? Could anyone please explain (in a way I might easily understand) the difference between primary and logical partition types? Which type(s) would I then set the "/boot", "/tmp", and "/var" partitions?

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Every Windows system must have its own primary partition and there only can be a maximum of 4 primary + extended partitions. Not 4 each but [number of primary partitions] + [number of extended partitions] <= 4.

So put everything which isn't a Windows system partition into an extended partition.

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  • I no longer have a Windows system on my hard disk. Ubuntu will be my only installed operating system. This is where I am finding confusion, because I do not know what to make primary or logical. Apr 4, 2015 at 15:51
  • Just make an extended partition over the entire size of your disk if it's not bigger than 2 TiB and put everything in there. If it's bigger than 2 TiB, tell me.
    – UTF-8
    Apr 4, 2015 at 15:55
  • No, it is not bigger than 2 TiB. So, it is not important and/or necessary to create the other recommended partitions that I read about? Apr 4, 2015 at 16:01
  • No. And to clear up your doubts, here is a screenshot of GParted showing the partitions on my laptop: postimg.org/image/3r5vhq5wf The only partitions not in the extended partition are the ones I had Windows Installer made when installing Windows.
    – UTF-8
    Apr 4, 2015 at 16:06
  • Unfortunately, I do not have the computer of discussion set up to save a screen shot of what I see when I enter manual partitioning at install, but I was able to create something that gives a decent idea of what I'm dealing with: link So, am I understanding you correctly: I do not need to create swap, root, home, toot, tmp, or var partitions? I tried running Ubuntu on this computer before, and ran into severe slowing down, which i contributed to a lack of storage. I was hoping to fix that. Apr 4, 2015 at 16:50

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