How to install OS separate from apps? (partition drive)

Question for you guys,

I'm going to be installing a 320GB HDD in my MBP tomorrow and so I'll be doing a clean install of 10.5. I've always wanted to do a fresh install with the OS on a separate partition from everything else (apps, docs, movies, etc). From what I can remember this used to hold an advantage over the traditional install method, but does it still? Has 10.5 progressed to the point that it's not worth the hassle? If partitioning in the manner I'm referring to is still worth the trouble, could someone please outline what I need to do to accomplish it? Also, will this cause problems with programs later on with wanting to be installed on the same partition as the OS? And finally, how big should the OS partition be?

I've tried searching, but all I can come up with is how to partition for bootcamp. If there is a thread I'm missing, please point me to it.

Thanks!

Lots of windows users seem to enjoy doing that...

If anything it'll cause you more headaches (poorly written apps might target files explicitly on the boot drive), and as far as I know you user folder has to live on the boot drive, so you'd not really benefit much in terms of "ease of reinstall".

So personally I wouldn't bother.

Aptmunich said:

Lots of windows users seem to enjoy doing that...

If anything it'll cause you more headaches (poorly written apps might target files explicitly on the boot drive), and as far as I know you user folder has to live on the boot drive, so you'd not really benefit much in terms of "ease of reinstall".

So personally I wouldn't bother.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips. I ended making my hard drive into 3 partitions: 70GB for my Aperture and iTunes libraries, 25GB for TV shows/movies (I keep these on external drives, but move them over when I plan on watching them), and 200+GB for the OS and all the apps and anything else I decide to add later. I don't know why, but it just made sense to have the Aperture and iTunes libraries on their own partitions to try and decrease the OS fragmentation.