I’m setting up my ws new and want to use the best butterfs layout for both sensible snapshots, docker/podman containers, system files etc. Unfortunately anaconda doesn´t help very much here it is a manual process. I came accross several sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSyDgIuBDWU (🢤 great introduction, should be linked on fedora docs somewhere)
What does the Fedora package managers suggest as subvolume layout?
There are benefits to staying with the installer default until you encounter a problem:
While linux provides flexible configuration options, it also relies on the user community for support. The community benefits from limiting one-off configurations to uses cases where the defaults are determined to be not suitable after the issue has been discussed in a forum.
The suggested layout seems to be the default that is used for an automatic installation.
Users can, of course, tailor that to their own needs/preferences but most users find no benefit from adding/changing the layout. As mentioned above, non-standard layouts may find reduced support from a great majority of users.
Also used this tutorial to install Fedora 42 and 43 with BTRFS and working snapshots. It worked great for me and I was able to restore snapshots also with changed kernels without issues.
It would be more than great if Fedora created all the subvolumes when using BTRFS. A minimum solution could be to use @ and @home so that Timeshift can create BTRFS snapshots.
Actually, I’m using EXT4 as filesystem because BTRFS is not working with snapshots. So there’s no need for me to use BTRFS.
Very true. I remember however that previous FDR distros (or was it mint, elementoros, …) did have some basic layouts to choose from. Even Anaconda suggests, but not enforces /boot on its own device.
What new is are a few new kids on the block. It used to be hard partitions with classic ext3 (ext4) but new(er) partition methods and FS have come up. LVM, ZFS, BTRFS all are geting more established and because they offer more features and flexibility replace the classics. With these come new features like snapshots. Also newer developments in virtualisation (Podman, Docker, QEMU) geting more standard and require different ways of handling mass storage (CoW, snapshots, quota). Creating snapshots of docker volume folders is not the most efficient way of handling things.
One could even argue that the FHS has had its time and is a glove that no longer fit the modern hand. And some distroes did deviate for good reasons but that is another subject.
There are probably more developers using Fedora than any other distro (?) so offer a standard layout specifically for those would imho make sense.
While this comment may be true, the simpler layout for the average user is a better choice. A developer (or super user) who wishes a different layout can easily do so during, or even after, the installation. Layout of partitions is standard for the great majority of users (probably 99+%) and the relatively small number of developers should have enough knowledge to manage the layout for their own needs.
Creating a specific layout that would be expected to meet the needs of developers wold hardly be cost effective since each may have different ideas for what meets their specific needs (and most would likely not agree on what is appropriate.)