Fresh install Kubuntu 13.10: how best to partition the HD for optimal, smooth Kontakt & Akonadi

[A.J. Bonnema]

On 26/10/13 13:18, Basil Chupin wrote:
> On 26/10/13 08:50, A.J. Bonnema wrote:
>> On 26/10/13 06:42, Basil Chupin wrote:
>
> [pruned]
>
>>>
>>> In the partition called Data create a folder called, say (it's up to 
>>> you), Alpha. When you create a symlink in your real /home folder the 
>>> symlink will point to /Data/Alpha/<folder_name>. Let's take an 
>>> example - you are creating a symlink for the folder Downloads in 
>>> your real /home. The symlink would point to /Data/Alpha/Downloads 
>>> and in your real /home there will be an entry '~Downloads'.
>>>
>>> (There is a "catch" when creating symlinks: you need to delete the 
>>> folder called Downloads before you can create the symlink otherwise 
>>> the process will abort and tell you that such a directory/folder 
>>> already exists. Here the thing to remember is to copy, or move, 
>>> Downloads to Alpha then delete Downloads in /home and then create 
>>> the symlink. IF this sounds complicated it isn't - it's just a bit 
>>> messy trying to write it all down :-) . When it comes the time just 
>>> ask and the "mystery" will be explained :-) .
>>>
>>> BC
>>>
>> Basil,
>>
>> Thank you very much. I have been using Linux for a long time now, but 
>> always had a separate partition for /home. Your setup eliminates the 
>> problem of having old configuration files for the graphical environment.
>> I especially like the way you can set up several systems: I am 
>> definitely going to use that.
>>
>> I do have a few points though where things are not completely clear 
>> to me:
>>
>> 1. When I partition /home separately, I know my home directory will 
>> have different file permission from a different user, say, Daniel. So 
>> when Daniel logs on, he cannot access my files, and I cannot access 
>> his files.
>> If you have one partition for data, this does not apply. How do you 
>> do that? Or you have only one user on your system? Then it is easy.
>
> Yes, I am the only user of the system.
>
> But there is no problem with having more than the one user.
>
> Don't forget that the Data partition is just that - a big partition. 
> And within that partition you would create Alpha for User #1, Beta for 
> User #2, and so on and you would then symlink from each user's /home 
> to the appropriate directory Alpha, Beta and so on. And each of these 
> will have a different owner and only s/he will have access to it using 
> the permissions the root would assign to each directory. For example, 
> at one stage I had my wife also use my computer (hers was kinda 
> busted....) and she couldn't access my home and I couldn't access hers 
> (although as root I could always sneak in and have a peek at what she 
> was doing O:-) .)
>
>> 2. Some of the directories like .kde have hidden data directories. 
>> For instance Kontakt by default stores its data somewhere below .kde. 
>> Do you symlink that separately?
>
> I have never symlinked any of these hidden directories except for 
> .mozilla and .thunderbird because they contain settings and mail for 
> these apps. In fact these 2 directories, .mozilla and .thunderbird 
> have been with me since before 2001 when I was running Windows and 
> started to use Linux when I then transferred these 2 directories in 
> full to Linux (the format of the files is identical in both Windows 
> and Linux).
>
> However, if you think that the data in some hidden directories is 
> important then symlink them. Up to you.
>
> But I will state this: there is one hidden directory which while I do 
> not symlink I do keep a copy of on an USB memory stick. This is the 
> /.kde4/share/wallpapers. I do this because I have added many 
> wallpapers from a variety of sources to the default ones which come or 
> even downloaded for the system; I have even taken photos and using 
> gimp "converted" them into wallpapers. So, I keep this wallpapers 
> directory on a stick and copy them to the new system so that I can 
> continue to use my favourite wallpapers. (BTW, you will also find that 
> the wallpapers in Windows, say 7, are in .png format and can therefore 
> be used if you are so inclined.)
>
>
>> I have also considered using a main data directory from my server 
>> (just a home server, nothing fancy), because it has a raid setup. But 
>> it has the same file permission problems that I describe in point 1. 
>> I can either mount it -o uid=1000,gid=1000 or uid=1001,gid=1001, but 
>> not both.
>
> Now this is beyond my scope, RAID and server I mean :-) . However, 
> would my answer above to (1) not work also on a server?
>
> BC
>

I wasnt too clear about my problem. Yes, part of it can be exclusive 
access, but I also want to share, and that is where I have a problem. I 
might be able to solve it by having each user mount the network drive 
using different uid and gid parameters. I will find something. All this 
is not relevant to the original mail, so thanks for the info, especially 
the setup to keep the home clean, and to have multiple machines with the 
same data. I am certainly going to use that.

Regards, Guus.