I learned that it is possible to:


"Make a separate partition, then have fstab point /home to that partition"

Can anyone help me out, I just happen to be re-installing, and want to "save" my /home, should I need to re-install in the future, then /home will be "safe".


TIA


justaguy

This should enable me to :

" to have a separate /home partition so if I decide to reformat my computer, I can still keep all of my /home intact."

Is this "clear", I do not want to cloud the issue.

I'm assuming you have the /home already in a partition by itself.

edit your /etc/fstab: If you can't save, `su -` to root and edit it. change the x to the letter of your hardrive (chances are it's /dev/hda) - also change the `#` to the number (1 or 2 maybe?) ok I hope that helps. try: `man mount` also.

I almost forgot, to make a partition i recommend you use `cfdisk` under root. The post above, add that line to /etc/fstab. Make sure you backup your old fstab file.

Have u already had /home in a separated partition ?
If not do so:

mv /home /home-bak
create a new partition with fdisk / cfdisk.
Supposed the partition u created is /dev/hda9

mke2fs -b 4096 -i 4096 -v /dev/hda7

Then, append a line like below into /etc/fstab:

/dev/hda9 /home ext2 defaults 1 9
mount /home

cp -auv /home-bak /home
Check /home whether ur files there r correctly copied ?
If it is u can now delete /home-bak like "rm -rf /home-bak"

Create a backupdir on /home like "mkdir /home/backup"

Save ur /etc into /home/backup periodically like "cd /; tar -cvf - | bzip2 -c > /home/backup/etc-26-JAN.tbz2"
To extract a tbz2 file use "cd /tmp; bzip -dc /home/backup/etc-26-JAN.tbz2|tar -xvf -"

Actually, I am just in the cfdisk phase of the re-install. I thought that since I didn't really know what to do, or know how to go about it, I had better "ask early" before it was too late.

So, am I to assume that I just set aside a partition at this point, then "move /home" after the install is complete?

This partition should be "Primary" correct? I have the option of Primary, or Logical at this point.

Thanks so far for your help!

justaguy

Tell me about the HD capacity and wut distro u planned to install on them I will give u a recomendation of how u should partition ur HD ..

I have a 40 gig hd, with xp pro on half (20 gig).

What are your thoughts on the remaining 20 gig for Slackware 9.0?

Last install, I have .5 gig to swap, boot and / were given the remainer of the 20 gig, 19.5 gig.

I recommend this:

start fdisk or cfdisk /dev/hda
create the extended partition (/dev/hda4), use all of the 20 GB.
create a first linux root partition 4gb(4096mb) on hda5
create a second linux root partition 4 gb on hda6
create a third linux root partition 4 gb on hda7
create a swap partition 512 mb on /dev/hda8
create a /home partition use the rest of the HD capacity.

Some comments:
Basically if u install linux u don't install them only 1 time that is sure! So if u have made wrong with the 1st install u can install it into another root partition, it is also good that u have not only one installations on the HD, so in case u made a mistake on an installation u can boot into another installation n edit the wrong thing to recover. But u don't need to install twice the same thing now, just wait a few week or month untill somewut new come out then u can try them in the spare partition.

The third spare partition is when u need to try a new come out n u still not so REALLY want to deleted the oldest installation. Then just install it into the 3rd partition, n if u satisfied u can still reformat it then it is clean.

So each time u make installation u just tell setup which partition to use as / or swap n especially which partition is ur /home then u ll be fine with them. U don't need to have /var or /boot in their own partitions at this time, just trust me. I began to use linux somewut since 1995.

So I'd suggest next time u gave XP some wut 10gb or less, reserve the rest for linux, or make a 5gb (/dev/hda1) for XP n another 5 gb(/dev/hda2) for fat32 for storing thingie u want to access (read,write) in linux as well as in windows.

So what you are saying is that I could potentially have 3 distros, and 1 /home directory? While still keeping XP?

I am too new to ALOT of this, but I see what you are saying about not allotting too much at this point in time, if and when I find a "keeper" distro, I can always re-size partitions to enable growth in the favorite distro.

By using an "extended partition" that is neither ex2 or ex3, or reiser, right? What are the limitations to this? I have only used journaling in the past .......................................

The using of primary partition for /boot (or if it is not in a spearated partition) than / lies on limitation of the bios maybe prior to '96. But current mobo's bioses hat not that limitation, so to have "/" included "/boo"t inside on extended partition is no story today.

Yeah wut I suggested to have 3 partitions for "/" can be used to install 3 different distros, but I sugested that for installing 1 distro only. The other partition are spare partitions for installing the more recent release of the same distro. If it happened that u gonna try newer released of the same distro, then u don't need to replace the old installation. Further more to have more than onlu one installation/distro on the system is also recommended, bcoz if thing go wrong in one installation it is easier to do the recovery by booting into the other installation n mount the damaged install-partition n do recovery work so.

Yeah u can delete the 2 other partitions later n merge them into 1, as long as u have enough HD capacity u will have more flexibility. Especially if u have another HD as hdb. Doing the partitions now just save u from have repartition later, bcoz resizing partition could bring other headaches.

But u need to do that as root, use "su -" is not recomended, that is not flexible, bcoz the environment is not set properly as when LOGED in normally as root. That is the clean way of doing thing. Don't be fooled by problem that apply to every installation. But not for the RATEF (it should point to correct /dev/ttySx or /dev/psaux depend mouse type) !

I tried once journalised ext3, it caused problem, it smells also. But the other posters know that, for sure. Yeah many thing I can not explain at once to newbie, u might ask ur friends (who ever worked as administrator), they could give u good advice.

Oh yeah, u might need also the correct the /etc/X11/XF86Config after the installation. That mickey mouse fluck device caused unspurious problems, difficult to describe. If uncorrectly configured u won't be able to startx later.

If u check /var/log/XFree86.0.log u could find (EE) entry which indicates fatal error, it blocks all other functionalities as were it is the most important of all hardwares on the system. That is better don't try to startx at all rahter than to start witF a not correctly mouse device, bcoz it jitters on the screen n try to predict the movement of the user on the screen even into the window domain it is currently on\!

So that both device /dev/mouse and /dev/bPsaux must be adjust to point to real device with correct major n minor number, otherwise they shiit on /var/log/syslog n /var/log/messages. They are good for my smash exercise target when I did installation.

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So far for a linux experience, I gtg ahile in the city ..