How to partition

Reference to: Partitioning during installation [added by moderator]

I want a dual partition. I want to migrate from Windows 10 to another platform.

I’m not understanding the “create root (/), swap, home (/home), and ESP/EFI (50 MB)” commands. Is this done during installation? Is it at the command prompt?

I’m very wary of creating changes until I know for sure that nothing is going to go wrong. And I need simple answers. I’m not totally unfamiliar with computers, but form your answer(s) as if you’re talking to someone with limited experience.

Thanks.

Please see: How to Install Ubuntu Alongside With Windows 10 or 8 in Dual-Boot
Never mind that it shows Ubuntu, just scroll down to step #7. Those steps show you that partitions (/ , /home) are created during installation.

I can’t opine on the Windows 10 steps (#1 to #3) since I don’t use Windows 10 (except on my work laptop, and I don’t experiment on that). But regarding the Ubuntu steps, you can just consider them the same for Zorin and can use my suggestions for partitioning.

Finally, I recommend you read this: USB boot install before installing.

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Hi if you don’t have experience yet in Linux I suggest dual booting. Create a partition using windows (Disk Management) After that try installing Zorin into that partition… Now

I suggest choosing (/). It automatically create its file hierarchy

Now talking about the others.

  • Swap is a disk memory used as a ram,

  • home in the other hand is where every users folder are stored, it is equivalent to windows Users folder. In Linux we separate home to other drive because we don’t like our (/) to have files of users which eats memory, (inside user folder you will see, desktop, pictures, downloads typical folders you see in windows)

  • EFI is where boot files and config are stored with out it you can’t boot your system

Everything of the folders you mentioned are under the (/) so choosing (/) means automatically creates file hierarchy

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337harvey;
Great Walk-through.

I have legacy BIOS (no UEFI).
When I used the option to install alongside windows (dual-boot), it automatically created EFI partition.
When I chose manual partition and tried to not create EFI partition, the installer warned me that it may not boot. So I created EFI (of 100mb).

Can someone confirm that it should work without that EFI? Will it use the MBR at the start of the disk without problems for Windows?
And if later I want to install a 3rd distro alonside, still no need EFI ?

Answering my own questions (for others): from a bit of research, no need for the EFI( ESP) in my case. Also tried it and worked, even 2 distros alongside windows.