re-install

[Basil Chupin]

On 20/03/13 06:22, Ric Moore wrote:
> On 03/19/2013 01:31 AM, Basil Chupin wrote:
>
>> You have mentioned your use of the /opt directory for what you are doing
>> and this has always intrigued me because /opt is one of the directories
>> which is overwritten when a new installation is perfomed. In fact the
>> whole of the partition containing the current installation is formatted
>> during a new installation - unless what YOU do is never to reformat the
>> partition but to simply install the new version into the existing
>> partition. If you don't this then I am puzzled and you will have to give
>> me the way you do your trick (with the /opt directory) - and NONE of
>> that "Waving the chook leg all about, man!" thing :-) .
>
>
> During fresh install time there is no root directory or opt directory, 
> just the /dev/sd* partitions to deal with. The partition I keep /opt 
> on I exclude and only format the partition to become the root 
> directory, which is the same partition it was before, to install to.
>
> After install, I hand edit /etc/fstab to auto-mount it the /opt 
> partition right over the empty one that was freshly created. I also 
> keep my /opt filesystem on ext3, so I'm not diddling with the ext4 
> complexities. So, if I unmounted the /opt partition, there is still an 
> /opt directory, yes.
>
> Using ext3 all I have to add to fstab is:
> /dev/sda2    /opt    ext3
>
> I like simple. I think I need to add the filesystem check bit. :) Ric

At last! At last all becomes clear to us mortals! :-)

YOU have a *separate* partition on your sd* drive which you have named 
"opt" - let's call this partition sda13 (for luck).

You then install a new version of the OS into a partition - let's call 
it sda3 - which is the one you *always* use for installing your OS. And 
when you install the OS it reformats sda3, creates the / directory and 
the /home directory and all others including an /opt directory.

You then manually fiddle with /etc/fstab to mount the /dev/sda13 on the 
next boot; and you then symlink ./thunderbird, ./mozilla etc folders in 
your /home to this /dev/sda13 partition called 'opt'.[*]

Well, you are doing exactly what I am doing except that I have a 
separate partition on my second drive which I call, and mount as, 
'/data' and in which I have a special *folder* (let's call it 
Victorias_Secret); and after the OS is installed I symlink the 'stuff' 
in my /home to this /data/Victorias_Secret folder.

Now, when I am installing I tell the partioner to "mount" the partition 
"/data" and this automatically inserts the entry into fstab with its 
correct attributes. And you could do the same so as to avoid diddling 
around with fstab later: tell the partitioner/installer to mount that 
/dev/sda13 as 'opt'. Job done.

[*] Would have saved, and even save, a lot of hassles if you simply call 
this partition "FactorX" or "Alpha" or "Omega" instead of "opt" :-) .

BC

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