What is the main partition in the Linux system? What is its function?

In the Linux system, the primary partition refers to the partition on the hard disk used to install the operating system. The primary partition is the hard disk partition designated as the boot partition, usually labeled "boot" or "active". It is the first partition on the hard drive where the operating system and bootloader are installed.

The role of the main partition mainly has the following aspects:

1. Install the operating system: The main partition is where the Linux operating system is installed. During the installation process, the user needs to select a primary partition as the root partition (also called "/" partition), which is used to install the core files and directory structure of the operating system.
2. Stores the boot loader: The main partition stores the boot loader (such as GRUB or LILO), which is the program responsible for bootloading the operating system when the computer starts up. The boot loader reads the appropriate boot configuration file from the main partition and passes control to the operating system installed on the root partition.
3. Store boot files: The primary partition can store boot files for the operating system, such as kernel image files (vmlinuz) and initial RAM disk files (initrd). These files are necessary for the operating system to start, and they are loaded into memory by the bootloader and executed to start the operating system.
4. Hard Disk Management and Partition Table: The primary partition is a part of the hard disk partition table, which records information about all partitions on the hard disk, including their size, location, and file system type. Through the main partition, you can manage, partition and format the hard disk.

To sum it up, the primary partition in a Linux system is the partition where the operating system is installed and the bootloader is stored. It plays an important role of storing operating system core files, startup files, and boot configuration files, and is responsible for bootloading the operating system when the computer starts. At the same time, the primary partition also participates in hard disk management and partition table maintenance.