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bigsmoke07 · Jun 30, 2003, 04:38 AM

Hey all,

So I finally upgraded my imac 400 320 mb system with an external 120 gb 7200 rpm! Yeah!

I'm primarily using it for video editing (home movies), but wanted advice on partitioning my users folder. I now have my 10gb internal drive split 5/5 and have users on one and system stuff on the other. Running out of space.

Is it cool to use ccc and turn the external into the users folder altogether, then reformat the internal full 10gb for system stuff (eyeing a future panther upgrade, etc. still running 9 for Office and epson laser 5700 printing)

Is there an issue with having your users folder on the external?

Or should I just keep the ext. for backup, and media....i.e. putting the itunes folder there and always opening new movie projects from there?

thanks for the advice.

Mithras · Jun 30, 2003, 05:43 AM

It's a perfectly reasonable idea.

Check out articles at MacOSXHints.com: one, two

Laserbutt · Jun 30, 2003, 05:44 AM

Go ahead!! There really is no problem with using an external HDD for you Users folder. You can even use its as you boot drive if you wished. If you do go ahead and decide to use you external drive for you home folder you will need to create a symbolic link to it. There are a few apps around that will create symlinks for you, or you can use a shell to do it. Check out www.macosxhints.com for info on how to do it.
I don't think partitioning is needed, but it wont make a lot of difference in performance. One use for a partition would be a small one with a system folder and a drive utility installed so you can boot from it and fix a dead volume or optimise a drive. But, with Diskwarrior and Norton Utilities now out on bootable OS X cd's this really isn't needed.
Using an external drive as your scratch disk for iMovie, Final Cut or any major editing program is a good idea. iMovie is a destructive editing technique ands its better to do it on a drive that isn't your system drive. You may even find a small speed increase using a 7200rpm drive as your iMac (assuming it is still the original HDD) has a slower internal HDD)
Anyway, have fun and experiment loads. That way you will find out if no partitions is best... or fifteen suits you.

bigsmoke07 · Jun 30, 2003, 07:19 AM

to repartition and then transfer my users files over, so I'm cool there.

I was just wondering what would happen for ex if I disconnected the firewire drive where my users folder was. Would my machine then become inoperable?

That wouldn't be cool.

And yes the 7200 rpm drive is certainly faster.

here's what I think

12gb partition for backing up my internal hardrive (soon to be just the system)

103 gb for Users file including movie, music stuff

Do I need another?

Also, the 120 gb drive I bought from the store came in at 115 gb...is this usual? Or am I getting chumped?

Gul Banana · Jun 30, 2003, 07:32 AM

Originally posted by bigsmoke07:
to repartition and then transfer my users files over, so I'm cool there.

I was just wondering what would happen for ex if I disconnected the firewire drive where my users folder was. Would my machine then become inoperable?

Yes.

That wouldn't be cool.

You could fix it, though, just by plugging it back in

Also, the 120 gb drive I bought from the store came in at 115 gb...is this usual? Or am I getting chumped?

You bought a 120 GB drive. 120 GB = 120 gigabytes. 1 GB = 1000000000 bytes; 1 GigaByte = 1073741824 bytes.

synner · Jun 30, 2003, 07:49 AM

It's always worked for me without a hitch.

bigsmoke07 · Jun 30, 2003, 07:53 AM

so did I get chumped or not?

Sven G · Jun 30, 2003, 08:04 AM

It's perfectly OK that 120 GB becomes 115 GB: besides the different ways of measuring the GB (see post above), you also lose some drive space after the formatting.

... Ah - also be sure to follow Mike Bombich's tutorial for relocating your home partition: even if you use CCC, there's some interesting info about the NetInfo Manager and the symlink you must create after the cloning...