Re-installing with files/folders in partitions.

[Ricardo Veguilla]

Rodd Clarkson wrote:

>>>I want to be able to do a fresh reinstall of FC, but don't want to have
>>>to copy my home folder back from a file server after the reinstall.  I'm
>>>hoping that if I use an existing partition, but don't format before
>>>install that the installer will be smart enough to leave the /home
>>>directory intact.
>>>
>>>Is this possible?
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>Yes, this is what I'm doing that right now.
>>
>>LABEL=FC3T2          /                       
>>LABEL=HOME           /home                   
>>
>>
>>When I update (or install a new distribution in parallel), I set /home
>>to the appropriate partitions, and add necessary users.
>>
>>But remember, the you have to tell the installer not to format any
>>partition you want to reuse. 
>>    
>>
>
>I should have been clearer.
>
>I have:
>	/dev/hda3	/
>	/dev/hda2	/boot
>
>hda3 (/) includes /home as part of it.
>
>I'm wanting to delete all the folders except /home from / and then
>trying to reinstall.
>  
>
No, to do that you'll need to create a separate partition  and mount it 
on /home.

>Will this work?
>
><my take>
>given that your situation above works, and that Linux just sees all the
>partitions as a single file system then I should be fine, but...
></my take>
>  
>
You only need to plan for it. The next time you do a fresh install,  
create a separte partition  for home, so you'll have something like

/dev/hda3	/
/dev/hda2	/boot
/dev/hdaX	/home

and then copy your "home" backup to /home. After that, the next time you do a fresh install, you'll only need to tell the installer not to format /dev/hdaX and to mount it on /home (and add the aproprieate users).


Ricardo Veguilla