Best practices for partitioning the Linux?

When partitioning, generally you will want to make four separate partitions; namely, / (root), SWAP, /tmp and /home.

You will want to give the root (/) partition around 80 GB for all of your software needs. Rule of thumb with the SWAP, double your RAM (however, if you have a lot of RAM, then one to two GBs will do). The /tmp you will want to give a good 15 GB or so, this is where data will be held temporarily, e.g., backing up a 4 GB DVD, the 4 GBs will be held in the /tmp and removed after the copy is complete. Thus it won't impact your main memory). And last, your /home partition. Give that the rest or give it 100 GBs and the rest as a separate backup partition.

When you need to reinstall, be sure to manually setup this same partition layout, and MAKE SURE that you do NOT format the /home (and don't even worry about touching the backup partition if you have one).

To further elaborate, you will click on the root (/) partition, set the proper Filesystem (e.g., ext4), and select to format. Do the same with the /tmp, however, with the /home partition, set it as /home, and DO NOT format it. Don't touch the backup partition if you have one. (This will keep all of your personal data in tacked while reinstalling or upgrading the OS!)

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If you have another HDD and have formated it to ext3 or ext4, it will be set as owned by root. You need to manually change ownership. E.g., if you have a backup partition labeled "backup001," the you need to open a terminal and input:

sudo chown -R username:usergroup /point/of/location.

(Let User Name be mark, and mounted location in media)

sudo chown -R mark:mark /media/backup001

sudo (uses admin privileges)

chown (change ownership)

-R (reclusively; that is everything in that partition)

mark:mark (setting owner to user mark and group mark)

/media/backup001 (Partition)

If you actually have it installed on the hard drive, when you reinstall, tell it to use the existing partitions. Don't create new ones. 250 Different Linux Distribution Installations and removals, I have never heard of the issue you say you are having. It doesn't work exactly like Windows, but similar to it.

Are you using the LiveCD or attempting this from a USB flash drive. Use the Linux LiveCD.

/ 40 GBS

swap 1-2x RAM

/home the rest.

IF you can't copy and past files, it's not a partition problem. It may be because the disk is mounted as read-only, or because you don't have proper permissions.