I hate 24.04. How do I get back to something that works

[CharlieDaves]

I've done LTS to LTS fresh installs for several cycles now and have never had a problem with old configs. The one issue that I do have, but which is not hard to work out, is with Thunderbird and having to link up the existing mail folders to the new installation. Having /home on a separate partition, and then just re-formatting / and /boot/efi within the installer (manual install procedures), it goes smoothly. This procedure may not work for everyone, but it's easy. Naturally, I always back up /home before starting, and I never leave the config folders hidden.

Trying to work this out for myself. I've never done anything like this
My / and /boot/efi is on one ssd
My /Home is on another.

How to you NOT hide the config folderS...
Q- How many are there, and a list please jglen490

Thunderbird relinking mail folders. Cant you copy or export (I cant as pc boots to black screen) the TB settings ? I assume you have tried this, just checking why it might be failing

If my settings data is in /Home/.config or .local/ and others, and I've "upgraded" to 24.04 and it's obviously overwritten stuff, how would that go......
Q- How does this affect or effect your system with a different location for /Home ?

Q- how do you move /Home? Specifically telling a Fresh Install /Home is now /Here ?

Thanks jglen490

[CharlieDaves]

I've done LTS to LTS fresh installs for several cycles now and have never had a problem with old configs. The one issue that I do have, but which is not hard to work out, is with Thunderbird and having to link up the existing mail folders to the new installation. Having /home on a separate partition, and then just re-formatting / and /boot/efi within the installer (manual install procedures), it goes smoothly. This procedure may not work for everyone, but it's easy. Naturally, I always back up /home before starting, and I never leave the config folders hidden.

I was thinking whilst working out what I've backed up and where and how to restore.
You jglen490 are doing fresh NEWER installs.
I'm trying to go backwards... You probably cannot give any advice on what could happen.

I'll just have to figure it out.... Back thanks for the support

[CharlieDaves]

I've done LTS to LTS fresh installs for several cycles now and have never had a problem with old configs.

jglen490 One thing I just realized. What about things you have added like different mouse cursor (I use black) or theme(s), and other changes ...

Q- Do you re-install these things before coping ./config ?
OR
Q- Does the Linux System realize that your custom settings are x.y.z and then updates and/or download the files ?

I am just wondering if I have to try and remember the custom desktop settings files first, then copy ./config files ?

[jglen490]

I was thinking whilst working out what I've backed up and where and how to restore.
You jglen490 are doing fresh NEWER installs.
I'm trying to go backwards... You probably cannot give any advice on what could happen.

I'll just have to figure it out.... Back thanks for the support

When doing a fresh install, it does not matter (technically) whether you are moving to a newer version or to an older version - it's the same process. Moving to an older version COULD cause config issues, so be careful. Usually, the goal is to move forward, but staying still is also acceptable, if you have reasons such as older hardware. But, eventually staying still - in terms of version - will cause real problems with support and security.

[jglen490]

Trying to work this out for myself. I've never done anything like this
My / and /boot/efi is on one ssd
My /Home is on another.

...

If my settings data is in /Home/.config or .local/ and others, and I've "upgraded" to 24.04 and it's obviously overwritten stuff, how would that go......
Q- How does this affect or effect your system with a different location for /Home ?

Q- how do you move /Home? Specifically telling a Fresh Install /Home is now /Here ?

Thanks jglen490

An SSD can have multiple partitions, so / and /boot/efi can be on the same SSD, but in separate partitions. If your PC has an EFI type BIOS, then /boot/efi will normally use a different filesystem (fat32) than / (etx4 or BTRFS).

On my laptop, I have one NVME drive with multiple partitions: / (ext4), /boot/efi (fat32, /home (ext4), and swap (SWAP). Mine is using NVME, just because that's the connector that's in my laptop. A PC may have other connectors with other drive types. For a physical drive, there can be multiple partitions. Having separate partitions allows for a certain amount of independence between each partition.

With my setup, when I install a new LTS, I usually let each partition keep its same size. I then tell the installer to format the / partition with ext4, format the /boot/efi as an ESP which means formatting to fat32 and setting the boot flag, and then leave the /home partition alone. The installer will install the OS to /, the EFI boot files to /boot/efi, and then any new or changed config files will update on /home.

Of course, except for the ESP partition which must have fat32, you are free to use ext4 or any other Linux filesystem. I'm completely at ease with ext4 and use it "just because" it works for me and my computing needs.

As always, regardless of your method or goal for installing a new or old Linux OS - ALWAYS BACK UP THE DATA THAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU, FIRST

[CharlieDaves]

Thanks jglen490
PS. What's after the brick house on the Left?

[jglen490]

Thanks jglen490
PS. What's after the brick house on the Left?

The next one