re-install

[Ric Moore]

On 03/18/2013 10:38 PM, Basil Chupin wrote:
> On 19/03/13 06:00, Ric Moore wrote:
>> On 03/18/2013 12:35 PM, Colin Law wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> I can see that if you want to do that then a separate partition is a
>>> necessity.  I hope we are not going to fall out over this :)
>>
>> The main reason I use /opt on a separate partition and do my /home
>> backup as links to there, is that only SOME things, like your email
>> and browser settings can be safely re-installed intact, and some other
>> dot-files should not be, as just maybe there has been an upgrade in
>> the configs that you ~want~ to happen. It takes "discernment", as in
>> it's better if you decide when to NOT use the upgrade dot-files.
>>
>> When jumping from 10.4 to 12.4, there is sure to be some major changes
>> to the /home/user dot-config files/directories. Me, from my own
>> perspectives, the only thing I attempt to restore is my thunderbird
>> dot-directory. I use the backup/export features of programs like
>> firefox, save those files to /opt and restore/import back after a
>> fresh install. I have done this for some time, as I rarely have
>> problems doing it this way. Just blindly re-installing a 10.4
>> /home/user directory back to a 12.04 version system has got to create
>> a few headaches. But. that's just my two cents, Ric
>
> What you wrote should be worth a lot more than 2 cents - it worth a LOT
> more.
>
> I have a folder on my second HDD which contains the .thunderbird,
> .mozilla and other folders such as Documents, Downloads etc and which
> are all symlinked from my /home to this folder on the second HDD.
>
> I have no need to worry about copyng anything back when I do a new
> install of the OS (and I never do an upgrade)  - I simply create the
> symlinks in the newly created /home. No stress, no worries, no angst, no
> agonlising, no loss of sleep.
>
> The only "worry" I have here is to remember to do a backup of that
> folder on the second HDD to the USB memory stick and to the external 2TB
> drive.
You and I know full well, there is always something forgotten! I guess 
that's why I am a human and not a computer. I also use the trick of 
using links in my user directory for the universal directories, like 
Video / Desktop / Documents and the rest, to /opt/myuser so I just 
re-create my links.


-- 
My father, Victor Moore (Vic) used to say:
"There are two Great Sins in the world...
..the Sin of Ignorance, and the Sin of Stupidity.
Only the former may be overcome." R.I.P. Dad.
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