The /var Partition

Once the swap partition is done you can go on with the rest of the partitions. A /var partition is good because if you have a network machine you will probably generate a lot of logs. If a cracker were to break into your computer, the cracker would probably run a program to erase the log files. If they are stored on a separate partition you have a higher chance of being able to recover those erased files. Also, there are Denial of Service (DoS) attacks that crash machines that do not have their logs on a separate partition. Keep the logs separate and you will have a better experience. 500 megs to 1 gig for var should do the job for most people.