3.2. Partitions, Volumes, and File Systems

💡 First Principle: Before data can be stored, physical disk space must be organized—partitioned into logical sections, formatted with a file system that defines how data is stored and accessed, and mounted so the OS can use it. Each layer of this organization has choices that affect performance, capacity, and recovery options.

Getting partitioning wrong causes real problems: a system partition that fills up causes service failures; using the wrong file system for a workload limits performance or features; and an improper partition table prevents booting on modern hardware.