/
versus /root
partitions
You need one /
partition. This is often called System Root Partition. You don't normally need a separate /root
partition. The /root
is the "home" of the root
user. In olden times Linux users used to login as root
. Some still do. Local root
login is disabled in Ubuntu by default for security reasons. I don't think you need a /root
partition.
You do need a /
partition. This is something similar to the "C Drive" in Windows. Without this partition Ubuntu won't install.
/
or /home
which need more space?
It depends on what you plan to do with the computer.
More Space in /
- If you want to run web servers or develop web pages or web based
services, then
/
may need more space. Note: Some Machine Learning and Deep Learning tools work as web based services.
- If you play a lot
of Linux native games or install a lot of Linux native applications,
you need more space in
/
.
More Space in /home
- All personal files, documents, music, videos, go to
/home
. You can put them in the shared NTFS partition (D Drive). See Windows Ubuntu dual boot - Share files between OS for more.
- If you buy and play Steam games in Ubuntu, those games and the game
data will go to
/home
.
- If you use wine to install Windows applications in Ubuntu, those
software, and their data will all go to
/home
.
As a new user of Ubuntu you may not know yet which of these things you will be doing. Therefore, I recommend you do not create a separate /home
partition. If you use the default Ubuntu installation then it will create a single /
250 GB partition. /home
will be a folder in it. This will give you the most flexibility in terms of using Ubuntu.
See What are the advantages and disadvantages of mounting various directories on separate partitions? for more.
Swap Partition or File
Current versions of Ubuntu do not create a swap
partition, and you should not either.
EFI System Partition (ESP)
This partition should already exist in your 1 TB SSD, as this is the only drive and Windows came pre-installed in it. You don't need to mess with it. Ubuntu will install the grub
bootloader and part of it will go to this partition provided you booted the Live USB in UEFI mode. More on this below. You don't need to create a new ESP or install a different bootloader.
Something Else or Alongside Windows
I recommend the Install Ubuntu Alongside Windows. If you create an empty space 250 GB that is unallocated in Windows, then Ubuntu installer will find it and use it to create the 250 GB /
partition.
boot USB in UEFI mode
This is very important. When you select to boot from the Ubuntu Live USB (AKA the Ubuntu Installation USB), make sure you choose the one that says UEFI. You may see options like:
- Boot from internal drive
- Boot from USB
- Boot from USB UEFI
Choose the USB with UEFI. Ubuntu installation will work differently if you choose the wrong one. See Installation problems with GRUB, can only install by reinstalling Windows in legacy mode but need to keep in UEFI mode for how to distinguish between the two, after you select USB boot.
Hope this helps