Configure LVM in Foresight Linux

By default, most Linux distributions create two or three logical volumes. The recommended way is to create one logical volume each for the major filesystem directories – /, swap, /tmp, /var, /usr, and /home. For this tutorial, let’s begin creating LVs with one for swap. From the dropdown menu, select swap for File system type, swap again for Logical volume name, and for size, 1000 MB should be enough. click “Ok”

With swap out of the way, we can create the LVs for the other filesystem directories. The image below shows the LV for / being created. Foresight only gives two options for file system type – ext3 and xfs. The default is ext3, but because xfs does not require unmounting a logical volume before it can be resized, we opt for xfs. To create the LVs for /tmp, /var, /usr, and /home, use the following recommended size and name guidelines:

• /tmp – 500 MB, tmp (LV name)
• /var – 1000 MB, var
• /usr – 5000 MB, usr
• /home – 3000 MB, home

The objective here is to allocate just enough space to install and get the system up and running. The un-used space can be used in growing any LV that needs to be expanded.


When all the LVs have been created and the VG named, your screen should look like the one below. Notice that only about 15 GB has been used. The remaining part of the VG will be available for use after installation. Click “Ok”.

Almost done. Clicking “Next” should take you to the bootloader configuration screen

Here you can configure various bootloader options. In Foresight, you can choose between EXTLINUX (default) and GRUB .

That’s how LVM should be configured in Foresight Linux. The rest of the installation is easy enough, and there is no need to include those images here. One feature that you have in configuring LVM in Mandriva Free that is missing in Foresight is the option to configure encrypted volumes. Also missing is the the auto-allocate feature, but with this tutorial we hope that we have made configuring LVM (in Foresight Linux) a little bit easier for those new to the concept.

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