Bug 1301967

Summary: LVM should not be the default in laptops
Product: [Fedora] Fedora Reporter: romu <r>
Component: anacondaAssignee: Anaconda Maintenance Team <anaconda-maint-list>
Status: CLOSED WONTFIX QA Contact: Fedora Extras Quality Assurance <extras-qa>
Severity: medium Docs Contact:
Priority: unspecified    
Version: 23CC: anaconda-maint-list, g.kaviyarasu, jonathan, vanmeeuwen+fedora
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Hardware: All   
OS: Linux   
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Last Closed: 2016-01-26 14:25:18 UTC Type: Bug
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Description romu 2016-01-26 13:10:54 UTC 
Description of problem:
When one wants to install Fedora on a laptop, the default partitioning is LVM which is totally useless on a laptop AFAIK. And this adds an unnecessary complexity layer.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
22/23

How reproducible:
100 %

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Run Fedora installer
2. Select manual partitioning
3.

Actual results:
The default partitioning is LVM.

Expected results:
Anaconda should detect it runs on a laptop and, in such case, the default partitioning should be "Standard Partitioning".

Additional info:
Comment 1 David Lehman 2016-01-26 14:25:18 UTC 
LVM provides many useful features for laptops. It basically makes management of disk space easier in every way.

1. easier adjustment of volume sizes (eg: taking space from /home and adding it to /data) [even more so when you factor in #4, below]
2. caching (using SSD)
3. snapshots
4. thin provisioning

Yes, it does add a layer of complexity, but that should never be something you are confronted with unless you choose to change your volume layout. Even then, logical volumes are easier to manipulate than partitions. The only possible counter-argument is based on a lack of familiarity with the lvm tools.

Of course, if you just don't like LVM you can certainly choose something other than the default -- it is easy to do so.
Comment 2 romu 2016-01-26 14:28:32 UTC 
Fair enough, and for sure I'm not a LVM expert. Just wonder how many Fedora users use such features.
Comment 3 David Lehman 2016-01-27 18:54:50 UTC 
(In reply to romu from comment #2)
> Fair enough, and for sure I'm not a LVM expert. Just wonder how many Fedora
> users use such features.

I wonder the same thing, but there's not much of an argument against using it on the basis that you might want/need the functionality later. If it made things harder up front, I'd understand leaving it out. But the truth is that it's just as easy to set up initially if you use a tool like anaconda, so you get all those features for free if you ever need them.