[Ubuntu-SG] Ubuntu-related article on ST Digital Life
Kelvin Quee
kq at kquee.com
Wed Aug 20 01:26:27 UTC 2008
Hi,
Why so complex???
KQ
available here -
http://www.straitstimes.com/print/Digital%2BLife/Technology/Story/STIStory_269872.html
Aug 20, 2008
Get ready to go /home on Ubuntu
So you've been running Ubuntu Linux on your rig for a while. LIM YEE
HUNG shows how to preserve your settings by shifting your /home folder
WITH the recent release of the new Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron), successor
of the Gutsy Gibbon, you might be tempted to upgrade to enjoy the
cleaner graphical user interface and improved video compatibility. Plus,
its updated Linux kernel brings greater reliability and security.
However, upgrading to the new version will cause you to lose all your
data. The system will also revert to the default settings, meaning that
you lose all your painstaking work configuring that snazzy 3D desktop
cube that Linux is famous for.
Skip the aggro: Put your /home folder (where all your data and settings
are stored) into a separate partition. This way, it remains intact when
you upgrade and all your stuff is preserved.
For this operation, you will need an Ubuntu Live CD. You can create it
by downloading the CD image from www.ubuntu.com and burning it on a
blank CD. Or order a free CD from the website.
Your hard drive cannot be used when modifying the partitions in it. So
you will have to boot the Live CD instead.
In the live session, install the Gnome Partition Editor (GParted) by
using the Synaptic Package Manager (System >Administration >Synaptic
Package Manager). Install GParted. Note that an Internet connection is
needed.
Once it is installed, run GParted with administrator privileges. Press
Alt-F2, and type in 'gksudo gparted' to run GParted with root access.
In GParted, first create some free space for your new partition by
shrinking one of the existing partitions. Right-click the partition and
select 'Resize/Move'.
Choose the size of the partition you want. The free space generated by
the shrinking operation will be used for your new partition. Tip: Give
it at least 5GB of space, as this is where all your data such as
documents, music and videos will be kept.
After shrinking the partition, right-click the new empty space generated
and select 'New'.
In the 'Create New Partition' settings window, select 'ext3' under
Filesystem, leaving the other values as is.
Note that all these operations have not been set into motion: you will
need to apply them. Do a quick double check. Once you are satisfied with
your new partition layout, click 'Apply'. The operation should be
finished in a matter of minutes.
Once complete, take note of the name of the root partition, where your
/home folder currently resides, and the name of your new partition. In
this example, it is /dev/sda2 for the current home folder and /dev/sda5
for the newly created one.
Voila! You have successfully created your new partition. Now it's time
to place your /home folder in it. In the following commands, remember to
replace the partition names used in the example with your own partition
names. For example, if your original /home partition is /dev/sda3, then
replace all instances of /dev/sda2 in the examples with /dev/sda3.
Open up a terminal window (Applications >Accessories >Terminal) and
mount both partitions by typing:
sudo mkdir /old
sudo mount -t ext3 /dev/sda2 /old
sudo mkdir /new
sudo mount -t ext3 /dev/sda5 /new
Then, back up the /home directory and move it to the new partition by
typing:
cd /old/home
sudo find . -depth -print0 , sudo cpio --null --sparse -pvd /new
sudo mv /old/home /old/old_home
sudo mkdir /old/home
Now, you need to direct the system to use your new partition as the
/home partition. First, type:
sudo cp/old/etc/fstab/old/etc/old_fstab
sudo nano /old/etc/fstab
This will take you to the nano text editor, where you can then add in
this line:
/dev/sda5 /home ext3 nodev,nosuid 0 2
Save the file and exit the editor, then reboot the computer. Your
computer should now be using your new /home partition.
However, if you made a mistake and things go wrong, do a recovery using
your Live CD and start all over again. (Or get someone to help you this
time.)
To recover your old settings, boot into the Live CD, open a terminal
window and type:
sudo mkdir /recovery
sudo mount -t ext3 /dev/sda2 /recovery
sudo cp -R /recovery/old_home /recovery/home
sudo cp /recovery/etc/old_fstab /recovery/etc/fstab
Then reboot the computer.
If everything works fine, then you can remove the old /home directory to
save disk space. Open a terminal window (Applications >Accessories
>Terminal) and type:
sudo rm -rf /old_home
Now that you have your data all safe and sound in your new home
partition, you can look forward to the next release of Ubuntu, the
Intrepid Ibex, coming your way in October.
The writer is an Ubuntu user and is studying in Britain
available here -
http://www.straitstimes.com/print/Digital%2BLife/Technology/Story/STIStory_269872.html
--
Kelvin Quee
+65 9177 3635
kq at kquee.com
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