How to install separate home partition

[Jim Byrnes]

On 04/29/2012 02:19 PM, Colin Law wrote:
> On 29 April 2012 19:07, Jim Byrnes<jf_byrnes at comcast.net>  wrote:
>> On 04/29/2012 10:53 AM, Colin Law wrote:
>>>
>>> On 29 April 2012 16:37, Jim Byrnes<jf_byrnes at comcast.net>    wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I've been reading here about the benefits of a separate home partition.
>>>> Since I wanted to put both Ubuntu 12.04 and Xunbutu 12.04 on my laptop I
>>>> decided to try a separate home partition. I booted from the Ubuntu
>>>> install
>>>> CD and choose the Other choice from the installation options.
>>>>
>>>> I googled and found a how to to follow.
>>>>
>>>> I partitioned as follows:
>>>>
>>>> Primary - sda1 77GB ext4 mount point / for Ubuntu
>>>>
>>>> Extended:
>>>> sda6 77GB ext4 mount point /home  for home
>>>> sda7 77GB ext4                    for Xubuntu
>>>> sda  86GB free space
>>>> sda5 4GB swap
>>>>
>>>> I installed Ubuntu on sda1 and when it was done it did not recognize
>>>> /home
>>>> as my home partition.  I did some more googling and fixed that. Then I
>>>> installed Xubuntu on sda7 and when I was done it did not recognize /home
>>>> as
>>>> the home partition.
>>>>
>>>> Booted from Ubuntu and using the disk utility on sda6 I see /home
>>>> mounted.
>>>> Booting from Xubuntu sda6 is not mounted. If I mount it it mounts at
>>>> /media/(what looks like a UUID).
>>>>
>>>> The how to I followed only put Ubuntu, home and swap on the disk. Is
>>>> there
>>>> something else that needs to be done to add a second OS and share the
>>>> home
>>>> partition? I want to start all over so could someone tell me what I did
>>>> wrong or point me to a reliable how to that covers my situation.
>>>
>>>
>>> When you were installing you should have told the first one to use
>>> sda6 with a mount point of /home and to format it.  When installing
>>> the second you should again have said to use sda6 as /home but /not/
>>> to format it.  Then it would have left it as it is.
>>>
>>> Colin
>>>
>>
>> Thanks Colin, I'm starting to reinstall now.  One more question.  After
>> installing Unbuntu and it comes time to pick a computer name and user name
>> while installing Xumbuntu do I use the same names used on the Ubuntu install
>> or does it even make a difference? The first time I used different ones.
>
> I am not sure that it will ask on second one.  If it does then if you
> want to use the same user on both (which should be safe I think) then
> use the same one.
>
> Did you realise that you can have both on the same install and choose
> at logon time which to use?  Install ubuntu then
> suso apt-get install xubuntu-desktop
> to install the extra stuff for the xubuntu window manager.  At least I
> think it is xubuntu-desktop.  Google should confirm that.  Then on the
> logon screen click the ubuntu icon by the user name and Lubuntu should
> be there aswell as ubuntu.
>
> Colin


Yes I realize that.  I've tried it in the past in a VM and the results 
were less than satisfying.  I have the space so I decided to do a full 
install of both.

Things went better this time following your advice but it seems like 
Xubuntu still created it's own home.  After first installing Ubuntu and 
before installing Xunbutu I put a txt file in both Home and Documents on 
the Ubuntu side.  After installing Xubuntu and rebooting I can see that 
/home is mounted but I cannot see either one of the txt files I created 
in Unbutu.  Am I misunderstanding the concept of the shared /home? I 
should be able to see the txt files from either OS, shouldn't I?

Thanks,  Jim