new install keeping old /home

[ahurd]

How do I do a fresh install but keep my old /home, which is on a separate partition?

[Qqmike]

Re: new install keeping old /home

From the Live Kubuntu Desktop CD installer,
Step 4: Manual
Step 5: Check the old /home partition to be the /home partition
>>> BUT DO NOT Check the Format box !

[ahurd]

Re: new install keeping old /home

Many thanks.

[dibl]

Re: new install keeping old /home

In your /home/user directory are a lot of "settings", some of which won't be appropriate for your new installation. These could be a source of some problems -- configuration items pointing to things that aren't installed on the new system for example.

You might want to consider just nuking all the hidden folders -- the ones starting with a period, like .adobe, .gimp-2.4, .kde, .mozilla, .vlc, and so forth. I THINK it's true that all of these are dynamically built at the time you first log in to KDE, or the first time you use a newly installed application like Firefox or gimp. Then, by leaving all of your data folders, which are not hidden, you should end up with a "clean" /home folder to begin with when you log into your new system.

[Qqmike]

Re: new install keeping old /home

fwiw I just got into a lengthy exchange with a Linux guy about this not too long ago. He says that the devs spend bunches of time to make that transition work smoothly. The dot files * should * be updated in the normal & usual course of events (by their applications) and should not be affected by re-using them for the new version ** as long as the upgrade is only a one version step up ** (not a 2-version upgrade).

One thing about them dot files -- if you nuke them, you'll want to first save your Firefox & Thunderbird profiles (and others), which are tucked behind /.mozilla and /.mozilla-thunderbird (or some such place).

[dibl]

Re: new install keeping old /home

fwiw I just got into a lengthy exchange with a Linux guy about this not too long ago. He says that the devs spend bunches of time to make that transition work smoothly. The dot files * should * be updated in the normal & usual course of events (by their applications) and should not be affected by re-using them for the new version ** as long as the upgrade is only a one version step up ** (not a 2-version upgrade).

One thing about them dot files -- if you nuke them, you'll want to first save your Firefox & Thunderbird profiles (and others), which are tucked behind /.mozilla and /.mozilla-thunderbird (or some such place).

I didn't know that -- thanks Mike. It didn't work out very well the last time I tried it, which was probably a year ago -- just a lot of confusion from the leftovers in /home. Now I just export my Firefox bookmarks and save them on a USB stick or something, to avoid losing them.

On the data, I have dedicated data partitions on my hard drives. The only "live" data I put in my home directory is my VMware Player -- it works better there. So, after I installed Kubuntu the last time, I just symlinked my "Images" data partition to the Kubuntu "Pictures" folder, "Music" to "Music", "Movies" to "Movies" etc. and it works fine that way.

[Qqmike]

Re: new install keeping old /home

Re the hidden "dot" configuration files in /home:

Well, I don't like exposing all my lack of clarity on issues, but here's the discussion I had in mind at a small, cozy hardware forum I hang out at (and whose host--Robert Bruce Thompson--is a well-known author on books re how to build your own PC):

http://forums.hardwareguys.com/ikonb...5;hl=dot+files
=> See Post #9 ff.
(Software > Linux > UBUNTU 8.04 -- Beta released)

I confess, I haven't extensively tested all this, mainly because I have a very simple system for data management, and I do clean fresh installs all the time and wipe my drives for experimenting all the time cowboy-style. I'm seeing some posts by cpradio today; looks like he knows a lot about such things (and rsync backups, which I'm told is a hot & cool subject nowadays).

- - - - -

FX & T-Bird profiles:

As for Firefox & Thunderbird, their support sites have very good documentation about how to manage the profiles and import/export. I confess (again) to only scanning those how-to's. What I do is to copy the whole profile out to flash drive for safe-keeping and then use its various folder contents to restore, export, import, setup new systems, etc. , again cowboy-style It's a wonder that it even works for me sometimes.


--Mike

[cpradio]

Re: new install keeping old /home

I just want to give a bit of warning about nuking all folders/directories with a starting period (or hidden folders). About 5 years ago, maybe longer, KMail would store all of your email and mail directories in .kde/share/apps/kmail

If you nuke this directory, say goodbye to your emails. I learned this the hard way, but luckily had an entire backup to go from, so I only lost a days worth of emails (that day's emails I had already downloaded from the server).

Just realize, in the early years of Linux, those directories were not just for configuration and the upgrades do not correct their use, so for people like me who started 5-7 years ago (I honestly can't recall when I started, but I started with debian) are stuck with their Mail being tucked in a hidden folder.

My rule of thumb is if you plan to nuke out an entire hard drive or just a set of folders, back them up first to the best of your ability, as 3 weeks later, you will find out you lost something and really wish you could get it back.

Matt

[aulio]

Re: new install keeping old /home

ahurd, all,

Did you keep your old home with a new install? Did you encounter any problems with hidden files or with anything in general?

I'm planning to upgrade my 7.4 to 8.10 with fresh install, but would like to keep the old home.

Any hints how to avoid possible pitfalls?

Thanks!

[Fintan]

Re: new install keeping old /home

In my limited experience I have found just renaming .kde to something like .kdeOld from a live cd usefull. When you install 8.10 kde4 will not like the old .kde and create a new one. You can then just copy / move over all those kmail, calender, kontact, etc. files and you are all set.

[pansz]

Re: new install keeping old /home

In your /home/user directory are a lot of "settings", some of which won't be appropriate for your new installation. These could be a source of some problems -- configuration items pointing to things that aren't installed on the new system for example.
You might want to consider just nuking all the hidden folders -- the ones starting with a period, like .adobe, .gimp-2.4, .kde, .mozilla, .vlc, and so forth. I THINK it's true that all of these are dynamically built at the time you first log in to KDE, or the first time you use a newly installed application like Firefox or gimp. Then, by leaving all of your data folders, which are not hidden, you should end up with a "clean" /home folder to begin with when you log into your new system.

Yes, the hidden folders sometimes do cause problems.

But, what's the point of preserving /home if you remove all this? I'm astonished by your statement.

Useful data is easy to backup and it is very easy to restore user data (picutures, documents, musics, et.c). The main reason to keep /home is to keep the configuration dot-files. —— If anyone can live with all dot-files removed with the new upgrade, the preserved /home might not be useful at all.

[pansz]

Re: new install keeping old /home

I'm planning to upgrade my 7.4 to 8.10 with fresh install, but would like to keep the old home.

I've upgraded 7.04 to 8.04 and there's no problem except the scim, remove the ~/.scim solves everything.

I believe most people do *not* want to remove their dot-files. Just remove them when absolutely necessary.

[aged hippy]

Re: new install keeping old /home

I find it easy enough to keep cherished settings, emails, documents, etc.
For example, i use Thunderbird as an email client, and have a very long-lived Local Folders directory on another HD (hdb2), and (just checked) some emails go back to 2002.

KOrganiser uses a calendar on the same HD, simply point it towards it and tell it to use that one as default.
I assume that all other KOrganiser-related apps can be used the same, but i don't know as i only use the calendar function (with to-dos, etc.).

The Non-local directory i use has been there for some years.... that drive was the original XP boot disc (hdb1) in Windows days. I've even re-sized it once.

[tinker]

Re: new install keeping old /home

fwiw I just got into a lengthy exchange with a Linux guy about this not too long ago. He says that the devs spend bunches of time to make that transition work smoothly. The dot files * should * be updated in the normal & usual course of events (by their applications) and should not be affected by re-using them for the new version ** as long as the upgrade is only a one version step up ** (not a 2-version upgrade).

This is correct information. As an example, the system I'm typing this on has had the same /home since Woody. It has gone through upgrade from Woody --> Sarge --> Etch. That has allowed me to keep the configurations that I have spent a lot of time choosing. But I am talking about the stable release of Debian. If one is using a package from unstable (like Kubuntu) then I suppose it is possible that the package maintainer has not yet worked all the bugs out of an upgrade, thus there might be issues. Additionally, if one is using alpha or probably even early beta anything, breakage might occur. For such testing purposes I would probably do it the way dibl suggests. It's correct that they will be built if they are missing, with default values though. And, as has been suggested, unless you've relocated your mail stores, etc you will only have them in your backup.

[aulio]

Re: new install keeping old /home

Further question on this:

From the Live Kubuntu Desktop CD installer,
Step 4: Manual
Step 5: Check the old /home partition to be the /home partition
>>> BUT DO NOT Check the Format box !

I have also windows on my computer. I'd like to keep it there too. If I set the mount point at Step 5 for the ntfs partition to be /windows or /dos, the installer gives me a following error:

The attempt to mount a file system with type ntfs failed.

Should I set the mount point for ntfs and fat32 partitions at Step 5?

If not, is the dual boot still created automatically?