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<SOLVED> Restoring Settings from Previous Install

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    #1

    <SOLVED> Restoring Settings from Previous Install

    I am not terribly linux savy. I can work my way around a command prompt, and google my way through most issues, but I seem to be having a problem with this one. Regardless of what the current issue is now, this one stems from PEBKAC.

    <Backstory>

    I decided to try linux(...again...but I'm really gonna commit this time and make it work!) and so I grabbed a KUbuntu 10.04 live disk and installed.

    Here is where the PEBKAC comes into play. I have two hard drives; a 160g and a 250g. One drive is PATA and the other SATA. I wanted to install the OS to the PATA drive, and (for some reason) assumed that was the 160g drive...It wasn't. However, I didn't realize this before I spent a decent amount of time installing programs and updates, porting settings from Windows, and tweaking settings to get it the way I wanted. So now I am stuck with this problem.

    </Backstory>

    I have twives drives partitioned with Kubuntu installed. The first install has all the programs and settings I want, whereas the second install is on the physical drive I want it on. I'm looking for a way to transfer all the settings and programs over to the new installation. I've spent a decent amount of time trying solutions, to no avail. This is probably due to my infamiliarity with linux in general. I could just spend the time setting it up again, but that doesn't really assist with my infamiliarity. Things I've tried:

    -Copying the home directory to the new install
    -Copying the usr, var, bin, etc, home directories to the new install
    -Copying EVERYTHING from the old install to the new install (This resulted in a non bootable drive, which I half expected)

    I'm looking for the folders I can grab off my first install to transfer to my second so I don't have to go through the setup again. I have a live disk so I can work with both drives being non active (Is that the right term?).

    Thanks for any mockery, ridicule, and hopefully help you can provide.
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    #2
    Re: Restoring Settings from Previous Install

    Originally posted by kingerthethird
    I have two hard drives; a 160g and a 250g. One drive is PATA and the other SATA.
    Mixed HDD types are a known problem when attempting to install Kubuntu. The down-and-dirty solution, is to remove one of the HDDs - the one you won't be installing Kubuntu on - and then perform the install. Once installed, you can shutdown the PC and reinstall/connect the second HDD and all is good.
    Windows no longer obstructs my view.
    Using Kubuntu Linux since March 23, 2007.
    "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." - Sherlock Holmes​
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      #3
      Re: Restoring Settings from Previous Install

      I have two drives partitioned with Kubuntu installed.
      I'm WELL past the install point.

      I'm now trying to restore settings from a previous install of Kubuntu to a current install.
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        #4
        Re: Restoring Settings from Previous Install

        Copy only your /home directory from the old to the new. Your home directory contains all of your settings. Then as you install programs they will automatically find their settings in your /home directory. That should have been your approach. But it is too late for that now, because you have already copied the entire install from one to the other. This also would have worked, except you should have included all hidden files and folders. If you did then what is messed up is /boot folder. What you need to do now is reinstall grub. You can do that with the live CD. See this for info on fixing grub: http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3106368.0

        If that does not work, then you would probably want to simply reinstall the OS, then copy just the /home folder from the old install. You may have borked the new install beyond repair. Then as I said above, install each of the programs you wish to use.
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          #5
          Re: Restoring Settings from Previous Install

          A word of warning - depending on the age of your old /home it may still have been in KDE3 times and I am not sure how well this would translate into KDE4. Also, a lot of programmes have changed in the meantime, so most of your settings have no impact on the newer piece of software.

          The same goes for /etc et al.

          Other than that where exactly to you fail?
          Once your problem is solved please mark the topic of the first post as SOLVED so others know and can benefit from your experience! / FAQ
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            #6
            Re: Restoring Settings from Previous Install

            Yes, I was assuming that both installs were the same version, and the programs would therefore be the same version.
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              #7
              Re: Restoring Settings from Previous Install

              Both installs are fresh, KUbuntu 10.04.

              When I did the whole install copy over, I did it -rav, so it copied everything and destroyed the boot folder. I had a fresh install backed up so it wasn't a big deal.

              I thought I had tried copying the home directory over, with -rav, but I may have done it improperly. Will my desktop settings (Eg. Wallpapers, panels, double click to open folder) get copied over in the home directory, or is that somewhere else?

              I'll have to try this stuff tonight. @ work right now.
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                #8
                Re: Restoring Settings from Previous Install

                Originally posted by kingerthethird
                Both installs are fresh, KUbuntu 10.04.

                I thought I had tried copying the home directory over, with -rav, but I may have done it improperly. Will my desktop settings (Eg. Wallpapers, panels, double click to open folder) get copied over in the home directory, or is that somewhere else?
                Yes. all of that should be there.

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                  #9
                  Re: Restoring Settings from Previous Install

                  So why exactly did the -rav option destroy the /boot folder? I must admit, I'm lost :P
                  Once your problem is solved please mark the topic of the first post as SOLVED so others know and can benefit from your experience! / FAQ
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                    #10
                    Re: Restoring Settings from Previous Install

                    It copied over the exisiting /boot directory. Which you did not want to do, as that contains the specific info require to boot from that drive. Which is why you ended up with a non bootable system.
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                      #11
                      Re: Restoring Settings from Previous Install

                      Okay, cheers, Detonate. So a simple run with super grub disk and a reinstall of grub would have done it as well?
                      Once your problem is solved please mark the topic of the first post as SOLVED so others know and can benefit from your experience! / FAQ
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                        #12
                        Re: Restoring Settings from Previous Install

                        Moved the folders and this time it worked. Thanks guys.
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