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I recently bought a new SSD for my laptop, and I will install a dual-boot configuration with Windows 8.1 N and Ubuntu 13.10 (amd64 version).

But since the SSD has a limited amount of storage (approx. 80 gigabyte left on a 120gb-ssd), I have to be effective with that limited space. Since Ubuntu can read from the Windows-partition (all Windows-files are accessible using Ubuntu), but Windows can't read from Ubuntu's ext4-partition, I will use the Windows-partition for both Windows system files and other files such as pictures and local videos, and the Ubuntu partition only for system files and installed programs.

To the question:

  • Is there any way I can redirect the Nautiles library folder's to point to C:/Users/Windows-user instead of default home/users/ ?.
  • Also, the recommended space of Ubuntu is 30 gigabyte, but today, my Ubuntu system (wothout other other files) takes 10 gb, with some programs installed. Maybe 20 gigabytes are enough? But I don't want to have any problems in the future, with need of repartitioning the drive to increase the amount of space and delete my Windows-installation.

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

Computer: Dell Latitude D630, 64-bit compatible. SSD: Logitech SSDNow V-300, 120 gigabyte

MrVaykadji
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user240025
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1 Answers1

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Ubuntu recommends 30 GB : As usual, it depends on what you will do with your system. 8 GB is enough, but some programs may take a lot of space (Google-chrome cache, for instance). My everyday installation with a lot of programs takes only 7,6 GB. And I don't really think I'll need more than that for the system only.

Using 20 GB would be the best choice for you, in my opinion. I'll explain why in the second point.

Redirect /home/user/ to C:/Users/Windowsuser : You can't have your Home partition on a NTFS disk, NTFS can't read permissions the way Linux was meant to. You will have to use you /home/user on an EXT4 partition.

And because Ubuntu stores a lot of configuration files in your /home/user, you will need some space (mine takes now 800 MB, but I used to have 10 GB and more when I used Wine to emulate Windows Programs.

But, fortunately, you can make a "shortcut" that points C:/Users/WindowsUser to you /home/user using the symbolic link feature :

ln --help returns: 

ln [OPTION]... TARGET LINK_NAME : create a link to TARGET with the name LINK_NAME.

So, let's say you want to link /home/user/Music to C:/Users/WindowsUser/Music, you can do that easily. First, mount your NTFS partition on Ubuntu, then :

ln /path-to-your-mounted-ntfs-partition/Users/WindowsUser/Music /home/user/Music

-> where /path-to-your-mounted-ntfs-partition is the path of your mounted ntfs partition.

Using this, you will have a /home/user on your EXT4 partition, allowing Ubuntu to store the needed files and their permission, and in this folder, you'll have shortcuts to your NTFS partition (more precisely to your WindowsUser folder).

MrVaykadji
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  • Thanks for answer! I found a way to easily link the Windows-part folders directly in Nautilus, here is what I did: with Nautilus in focus, go to Files in menu and bookmarks, then, change the link from /home/user/photos (local Ubuntu partition) to /users/user/photos (Windows-partition). The links shows up under bookmarks in the Nautilus left column (toogle visibility with F9 key). Above bookmarks in Nautilus left column, I put a symbolic link in each /home/user folder, as described below. – user240025 Jan 28 '14 at 17:34