installing OS over itself
Nils Kassube
kassube at gmx.net
Tue Jan 22 07:29:45 UTC 2013
Robert Holtzman wrote:
> IIRC at one time it was possible to install Ubuntu over a previously
> installed one. Still possible?
It depends on what you mean with "install Ubuntu over a previously
installed one". You can still from the Live DVD/USB system. If you are
careful at the partitioning stage, you can select manual partitioning
and there you can select the partition(s) where you have your installed
system. Make sure that you keep the file system and DON'T format the
partition(s).
> If so what is the effect on installed
> apps? I've read a few horror stories about the new install deleting
> the core files, leaving an unbootable computer.
It will remove all system files but the /home and IIRC also /usr/local
folders are untouched. Usually the system is still bootable. I have done
that many times and only once there was a problem booting the system
afterwards. It was a machine with a bad ACPI where I had to select "ACPI
off" as a kernel boot parameter for the Live DVD already. That parameter
wasn't automatically included in the grub boot file. I had to manually
add the parameter at the grub menu and after the successful start I had
to edit /etc/default/grub to automatically include the parameter in the
future. Other than that, all your installed applications are gone and
only the default applications are installed.
Anyway, as always you should make backups before you overwrite your
system.
Nils
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