[SOLVED]Quick question - Home partition

ew · 2012-10-07 22:34:28

My question for a dual-boot scenario between statler and waldorf, would I be correct in assuming that sharing swap and home partition should be unproblematic? I know there can be issues sharing the Home-partition between different distros, but sharing them between two versions of #! should be fine? Or not?

Just move my post anywhere it fits, if it`s not posted in the correct category. I`m still a forum-newbie in experimental mode:)

Last edited by ew (2012-10-07 23:55:37)

zalew · 2012-10-07 22:42:45

problems with sharing home are due to config files messing up. it doesn't matter if it's the same distro or the other, you will share config files and in some cases that can be a good thing, in most cases they will break something. better explicitely pick what you want to share and symlink it or whatever.

VastOne · 2012-10-07 22:50:09

This is always subjective, it all depends really on what you have installed that is part of your /home directory and config files. I have always used the same home for all #! and debian installs because I know what is there and how to manage it.

A good example is xfce4 updating from 4.6 to 4.8 from Statler to Waldorf. That new install handled everything fine overwriting what was necessary in /home. Tint2 config files I always want to use the same ones, same with conky files.

As noted before, if you have a handle on what config files you have, you should be able to manage it very easily.

The primary reason for having a separate /home directory is just for this situation.

ew · 2012-10-07 22:53:13

Ok, thanks. I guess I also could use a shared data partition for media-files and things like that. By sharing the Home-partition I was hoping to be able to share conky-configuration and things like that, so that I don`t have to set it up every time I reinstall a unstable version. Well, no biggie. It`s just to make a copy of my conky-files, and paste them back into the new install.

ew · 2012-10-07 23:10:09

VastOne wrote:

A good example is xfce4 updating from 4.6 to 4.8 from Statler to Waldorf. That new install handled everything fine overwriting what was necessary in /home. Tint2 config files I always want to use the same ones, same with conky files.

Ok. Thanks. To avoid that my conky-files and things like that gets overwritten by the new install, I assume that I have to choose to keep my home-partition in the partition manager. But what you are saying is that the new install still will write to this partition if it`s necessary to update files?

If that is correct then I think I will have a go at it. Just backing up my conky-files and other openbox-customations to be 100% sure. Usually I`m a bit sloppy with backups, ending up in having to redo almost everything. Not this time:)

VastOne · 2012-10-07 23:20:43

ew wrote:

VastOne wrote:
A good example is xfce4 updating from 4.6 to 4.8 from Statler to Waldorf. That new install handled everything fine overwriting what was necessary in /home. Tint2 config files I always want to use the same ones, same with conky files.
Ok. Thanks. To avoid that my conky-files and things like that gets overwritten by the new install, I assume that I have to choose to keep my home-partition in the partition manager. But what you are saying is that the new install still will write to this partition if it`s necessary to update files?
If that is correct then I think I will have a go at it. Just backing up my conky-files and other openbox-customations to be 100% sure. Usually I`m a bit sloppy with backups, ending up in having to redo almost everything. Not this time:)

Yes, the new install will write to your /home partition and use it if it is available.

I always make sure of a backup, but I also use different named files for conkyrc and tint2rc, that way the new ones can overwrite the old ones and it really does not matter.

I would backup what you think is important and use the /home in the install. If you have a Dropbox account, this is a great place to keep your config files... It is what i use, just in case.

ew · 2012-10-07 23:54:48

VastOne wrote:

Yes, the new install will write to your /home partition and use it if it is available.
I always make sure of a backup, but I also use different named files for conkyrc and tint2rc, that way the new ones can overwrite the old ones and it really does not matter.
I would backup what you think is important and use the /home in the install. If you have a Dropbox account, this is a great place to keep your config files... It is what i use, just in case.

Ok. I will do as you suggest. Using different file names is of course the logical solution. That`s so obvious that I really should have seen that solution myself. That`s a bulletproof solution. Thanks:)

porkpiehat · 2012-10-07 23:58:49

I have several distros running on one machine. I use a shared partition for conky configs, wallpaper images, scripts, documents, and music. I mount this partition at boot and include it in the PATH for each distro. Each distro also has its own /home partition for distro-specific configs.

I also use the shared partition on other machines using nfs, so I don't have to create new .bashrc and alias files (for example).

I don't think trying to use the same /home for both statler and waldorf will work well. I think the best plan would be to move everything you know you can share to a separate partition mounted at boot (use fstab) and let the different versions keep their own configs in home.

VastOne · 2012-10-08 00:00:33

^ I am pretty sure he is replacing Statler with Waldorf and not sharing /home.

Edit - I do see it is a dual boot question retaining both. porkiepiehat has sound advice on creating a new environment and then using fstab.

porkpiehat · 2012-10-08 00:08:23

^ This is what made me think he wanted to share /home:

ew wrote:

My question for a dual-boot scenario between statler and waldorf, would I be correct in assuming that sharing swap and home partition should be unproblematic? I know there can be issues sharing the Home-partition between different distros, but sharing them between two versions of #! should be fine? Or not?

He says he wants to dual boot and share swap and home. But of course I could be wrong.

Last edited by porkpiehat (2012-10-08 00:09:23)

VastOne · 2012-10-08 00:10:32

^ Nope, you were right and I was wrong, see my edit. smile

ew · 2012-10-08 00:43:23

porkpiehat wrote:

I have several distros running on one machine. I use a shared partition for conky configs, wallpaper images, scripts, documents, and music. I mount this partition at boot and include it in the PATH for each distro. Each distro also has its own /home partition for distro-specific configs.
I also use the shared partition on other machines using nfs, so I don't have to create new .bashrc and alias files (for example).
I don't think trying to use the same /home for both statler and waldorf will work well. I think the best plan would be to move everything you know you can share to a separate partition mounted at boot (use fstab) and let the different versions keep their own configs in home.

OK. Perhaps that`s a more solid configuration, but then I`m on new ground, so I`ll try to find my way. I guess I`ll have to start by trying to make sense of this: http://www.faqs.org/docs/abs/HTML/files.html If I choose not to use ntfs that is. I once shared a ntfs partition between Windows7, PeppermintOS and Lubuntu and have a slight memory of having some trouble with permissions and ordinary textfiles being marked as executable. Maybe my memory fails me. Anyway, I solved it then, and will solve it again. It was just a month or two ago, but I have tried so many distros in a short time, that my head is starting to overflow and mix everything together:)

ew · 2012-10-08 01:02:54

VastOne wrote:

^ I am pretty sure he is replacing Statler with Waldorf and not sharing /home.
Edit - I do see it is a dual boot question retaining both. porkiepiehat has sound advice on creating a new environment and then using fstab.

Yes. I noticed that. Porkiehat`s solution seems solid, and I most certainly will apply that when I in the near future get a new laptop dedicated to linux distros. Then I will make a partition plan from scratch, and then everything is a bit easier. I will probably install "#! stable" as a base, maybe together with one of the big ones, leaving a few partitions for #! testing images, and other distros that can be replaced rather frequently.

Until then I guess I could try sharing /Home between Statler and Waldorf. Worst case scenario, I have to reinstall them, or buy the new pc a little sooner than my finances tells me to:)

porkpiehat · 2012-10-08 01:24:44

^ The "tricky" way to share a /home partition between two distros is to create a new user name when you install the second distro. The new distro creates a separate directory for the new user on the /home partition. Then you still have two separate home environments with separate config files, and you can copy things over from the old distro (such as conky) to the new distro without disturbing other more important config files. And you can do it one file at a time so if something breaks you know what caused it.

You really don't need to share the same /home between statler and waldorf -- it can be done, but it's just asking for problems.

Last edited by porkpiehat (2012-10-08 01:24:59)

VastOne · 2012-10-08 01:32:49

^ It may be... I never have issues with it, but I know what to look for. In this case, with a seemingly new frontier for ew, caution may be the most practical path.

ew · 2012-10-08 01:38:35

porkpiehat wrote:

^ The "tricky" way to share a /home partition between two distros is to create a new user name when you install the second distro. The new distro creates a separate directory for the new user on the /home partition. Then you still have two separate home environments with separate config files, and you can copy things over from the old distro (such as conky) to the new distro without disturbing other more important config files. And you can do it one file at a time so if something breaks you know what caused it.
You really don't need to share the same /home between statler and waldorf -- it can be done, but it's just asking for problems.

I hear you. I don actually need it for this purpose. But if it works, it could have been nice to share /Home in a multiboot scenario. But of course, sharing it between 5-6 distros probably is to ask for problems. I will do it your way, and distros which I`m installing just for testing purposes will be installed in just one partition per OS, and the linux distros which I`m installing on a more permanent basis will share a data partition, but having their own Home-partition ...

ew · 2012-10-08 01:59:48

VastOne wrote:

^ It may be... I never have issues with it, but I know what to look for. In this case, with a seemingly new frontier for ew, caution may be the most practical path.

Yes, that true. I haven`t fiddled with Linux for more than a month or two, and that time has mainly been spent distrosurfing, trying to find the one I want to settle into. I have a lot to learn, but that`s why I`m migrating from Windows after 30+ years. I want the challenge:)

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#1 2012-10-07 22:34:28

[SOLVED]Quick question - Home partition

#2 2012-10-07 22:42:45

Re: [SOLVED]Quick question - Home partition

#3 2012-10-07 22:50:09

Re: [SOLVED]Quick question - Home partition

#4 2012-10-07 22:53:13

Re: [SOLVED]Quick question - Home partition

#5 2012-10-07 23:10:09

Re: [SOLVED]Quick question - Home partition

#6 2012-10-07 23:20:43

Re: [SOLVED]Quick question - Home partition

#7 2012-10-07 23:54:48

Re: [SOLVED]Quick question - Home partition

#8 2012-10-07 23:58:49

Re: [SOLVED]Quick question - Home partition

#9 2012-10-08 00:00:33

Re: [SOLVED]Quick question - Home partition

#10 2012-10-08 00:08:23

Re: [SOLVED]Quick question - Home partition

#11 2012-10-08 00:10:32

Re: [SOLVED]Quick question - Home partition

#12 2012-10-08 00:43:23

Re: [SOLVED]Quick question - Home partition

#13 2012-10-08 01:02:54

Re: [SOLVED]Quick question - Home partition

#14 2012-10-08 01:24:44

Re: [SOLVED]Quick question - Home partition

#15 2012-10-08 01:32:49

Re: [SOLVED]Quick question - Home partition

#16 2012-10-08 01:38:35

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#17 2012-10-08 01:59:48

Re: [SOLVED]Quick question - Home partition

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