[ubuntu-uk] Pasting home directory into new and version upgrade installs?

[Alan Lord (News)]

On 18/09/10 14:23, alan c wrote:
<snip />
> I do not understand the following very well, sorry. I have lots of
> 'new install' experiences but have never been adventurous at this stage

I think your questions are rather good ones Alan.

Perhaps either there is already, or we (the ones who *get* this stuff) 
need to put together, a page with a couple of proven methods of 
backing-up and restoring a user's home directory across new and/or 
upgraded Ubuntu installations.

>> Just move /home into a separate filesystem, if it isn't already, make
>> a note of any apps and config you need, then reformat / and install
>> 10.04 into it. Let the install procedure pick up the existing
>> /home/$username folder - it should sort things out for you. If
>> possible, avoid replacing it later; have it there, /in situ/, first.
>
> ' move /home into a separate filesystem'
> copy and paste ok? Is this 'separate filesystem' typically a separate
> independent partition such as a backup disk or backup partition? Or is
> the 'separate filesystem intended maybe to be the target partition for
> the new install though? Not clear at all about this.

*If* I was to copy my home dir, I would do one of two things:

either

cp -a (copy with archiving etc. man cp for the options)

or:

tar it into a tarball.

IMHO *moving" a user's home dir is fraught with issues. The OP didn't 
mention that you don't want to do this whilst being logged (as the same 
user) in for example ;-)

> Or would I be using the Install Partitioning option 'manual' where I
> nominate the directories  and check off which should or should not  be
> formatted?

All good questions and I think we should provide you a decent answer 
that is a foolproof as can be.

Wiki?

Al


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