Fresh install FC4 on an existing FC3 box

satimis · 12-23-2005, 07:54 AM

Hi folks,

I have a running FC3 box with following config on HD

# fdisk -l

Code:

Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *           1          13      104391   83  Linux
/dev/hda2              14        2563    20482875   83  Linux
/dev/hda3            2564        2690     1020127+  82  Linux swap
/dev/hda4            2691        4865    17470687+   5  Extended
/dev/hda5            2691        3907     9775521   83  Linux
/dev/hda6            3908        4637     5863693+  83  Linux
/dev/hda7            4638        4865     1831378+  83  Linux

# df -hT

Code:

Filesystem    Type    Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/hda2     ext3     20G  7.8G   11G  43% /
/dev/hda1     ext3     99M   12M   83M  13% /boot
none         tmpfs    125M     0  125M   0% /dev/shm
/dev/hda5     ext3    9.2G  3.4G  5.5G  38% /home

/dev/hda6 and /dev/hda7 are for LFS and LFS-LiveCD respectively.

Now I want to fresh-install FC4 (not upgrade) but retaining /home. Please advise what will be the easy and safe method to do it. Any pointer will be appreciated.

TIA

BR
satimis

Brian1 · 12-23-2005, 08:27 PM

The following is based on using KDE to do some of the things.

If I understand You want to install FC4 right where you have FC3? If this correct and wish to have the same username then I would bootup with a rescue cd or Live CD like Knoppix. Goto the /home partition. /dev/hda5 and rename your username. Example say your username is /home/satimis rename it to /home/santimis_backup. Now install FC4 and manually define partitions. When you get to /dev/hda5 label it as /home but DO NOT FORMAT. Finish install and create your new santimis username. Once FC4 is up goto your Start Menu > System Tools > File Manager Super User. Goto /home and right click on santimis_backup. Select properties and change ownership and groupship of /home/santimis_backup to santimis and check the recursive box as well. Close the SuperUser File manager and open a regular filemanager and copy what you need from /home/santimis_backup to /home/santimis. I recomend not coping anything from .kde or .local unless needed.

In a terminal session as root goto /home and you can issue the commands to change ownership from a terminal.
chown -R santimis santimis_backup
chgrp -R santimis santimis_backup

If the data is important I recomend backing up to something. Nothing is perfect. If you DO NOT FORMAT /dev/hda5 or /home then it should remain intact.

Now if you wish to have both fc3 and fc4 on at the same time, it is not recommended not to have the same home directory. It will work but in both distros user ID and Grouop ID need to be the same.

Hope this helps.
Brian1

satimis · 12-23-2005, 09:15 PM

Hi Brian1,

Tks for your detail advice.

What I expect to do are;
1) Erase FC3 / (dev/hda2) and /boot (dev/hda1)
2) Retain FC3 /home (/dev/hda5) and other partitions intact
3) Install FC4 on /dev/hda2 as "/ + /home" and on /dev/hda1 as /boot respectively
4) Now the new FC4 /home will be on /dev/hda2. Move the new FC4 /home to /dev/hda5 and move FC3 /home/satimis to it (FC4 /home).
5) Erase FC3 /home on /dev/hda5

Running
# mkfs -t ext3 /dev/hda2
and
# mke2fs /dev/hda1

I can erase FC3 / (root) and /boot respectivcely. But I have no idea how to;

1) make/direct the installation-CD installing FC4 on /dev/hda2 (/ + /home) and /boot on /dev/hda1
2) move the new FC4 /home from /dev/hda2 to /dev/hda5 and move FC3 /home/satimis on it thereafter.

(Remark: OR taking your advice, rename FC3 /home/satimis as /home/santimis_backup first. Install the new FC4 /home on /dev/hda5 directly and move /home/santimis_backup to FC4 /home/satimis thereafter)

All data on /home/satimis has been backup.

I have been googling the relevant document around and could not find it. Because once started I could not revert all steps performed. Any advice.

TIA

B.Regards and Merry Xmas
satimis

Brian1 · 12-23-2005, 09:52 PM

Here is what I would do.
1) Erase FC3 / (dev/hda2) and /boot (dev/hda1)
When manually partition during the install label as you want and selct format for each one.

2) Retain FC3 /home (/dev/hda5) and other partitions intact
When manually partition during the fc4 install label this partition as say /storage. DO NOT FORMAT! This way it will be mounted during bootup of fc4.

3) Install FC4 on /dev/hda2 as "/ + /home" and on /dev/hda1 as /boot respectively
Label /dev/hda2 as / The /home will now be withing / now. Not as a seperate partition as before.
Label /dev/hda1 as /boot

4) Now the new FC4 /home will be on /dev/hda2. Move the new FC4 /home to /dev/hda5 and move FC3 /home/satimis to it (FC4 /home).
Tricky part here if I understand.
1. Login as root.
2. copy /storage/satimis to /home/santimis_backup.
3. remove /storage/satimis directory. Better yet just rename it to satimis2 (just for backup purposes)
4. copy /home/satimis to /storage/satimis
5. unmount /dev/hda5
6. edit /etc/mtab and change the line about /dev/hda5 /storage to /dev/hda5 /home
7a. edit /etc/fstab and change line LABEL=/storage /storage to LABEL=/home /home
or
7b. edit /etc/fstab /dev/hda5 /home ********
8 rename /home to say /home_backup
9 mount /dev/hda5

5) Erase FC3 /home on /dev/hda5
Once you have everything where you need it then you can remove /home_backup

What do you think about this.
Brian1

Brian1 · 12-23-2005, 10:06 PM

Reread post and seen remark. You really would not want to just dump all of the old fc3 /home/satimis_backup contents to fc4 /home/satimis. Since there is differnet versions of the gui configuration options have changed unless both are at the same version. You should have no problems just copy only what you need. Leave most default configuration directories and files alone. edit only the files you have done when using fc3. Reason again is maybe in fc4 has an program that must be run but the old config does not call for it.

What I would do.
copy over contents of /home/satimis/Desktop, bookmarks, if using mozilla, firefox, evolution, thunderbird. Any of these can be dumped over completely. Just don't run the program till they are copied over. One issue with evolution. If fc3 had evolution version 1 and fc4 uses evolution version2. Both do not use the same configuration files. They can be converted. Copy over anyother storage folders. More than welcome to copy over things like .gkrellm, .pan, .irc or whatever you have. For KDE I would not copy .kde, .local and .config. Just reset KDE prefences manually throught the control panel.

Hope this helps.
Brian1

satimis · 12-23-2005, 10:57 PM

Hi Brian1,

Quote:

Here is what I would do.
1) Erase FC3 / (dev/hda2) and /boot (dev/hda1)
When manually partition during the install label as you want and selct format for each one.

Both "mkfs" and "mke2fs" won't remove the partition just format it. The original partitions are still there. I want to keep them and install FC4 on /dev/hda1 as /boot, /dev/hda2 as / and /dev/hda5 and /home. So I need to apply your first advice renaming FC3 /home/satimis as /home/santimis_backup before installing FC4.

What I can't resolve is FC3 /home (/home/santimis_backup) still there. Would it confuse installing FC4 /home on /dev/hda5 ?

BR
satimis

satimis · 12-23-2005, 11:10 PM

Hi Brian1,

Quote:

..... You really would not want to just dump all of the old fc3 /home/satimis_backup contents to fc4 /home/satimis....

This FC3 box is only a workstation. I use webmail so kmail just standing there.

What I need is only copying all my working-data back to FC4 /home/satimis which is about 2G. They are on their own directories. Some of the directories are on FC3 /home/ and others on FC3 /home/satimis/

I think I really have nothing to copy under FC3 /root, /home and /home/satimis/ other than working-data. If I'm wrong please advise me. TIA

BR
satimis