install ubuntu with a HOME partition and a separate DATA PARTITION

[steninj]

HEY ALL

I am going for a fresh installation of ubuntu..(ubuntu alone)

my plan is to install it with a separate home partition and a separate data partition...

so that i can either keep or avoid the application settings in my /home when i go for another installation


&
i always want to keep my datas like movies,music etc in an another partition...
i want this to be 100% untouched in every further installations..

how to create this data partition,,,,so that i can perfom read/write to this...

during an installation a "mount point" is must...

where it should be mounted?...

or how can i create that data partition..

please please please help!

[werty2010]

nice idea...
im interested in this too
+1

[Elfy]

As far as the data partition goes - create the partition and mount it in fstab. I do all of this after I've installed.

I prefer to have my data partitions mount in /mnt - this way I can allow removable drives to appear on my desktop - but not the data drives. If you want them to be on the desktop then mount them in /media

I've a music drive in /mnt/music

The corresponding line in fstab for my drive is

UUID=14ee47cc-54cb-4887-8773-fd53121efe10 /mnt/music ext4 defaults 0 2

You can find uuid for your partitions with

sudo blkid

To edit fstab after backing it up

sudo cp /etc/fstab /etc/fstab.bak
gksudo gedit /etc/fstab

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Fstab
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=872197

[frup]

Do you symlink in to the relevant home directory directories?

[The Cog]

It's a good idea. User settings tend to collect cruft with time, and this time round I'm going through a process of deleteing all my user settings except for a few select programs (firefox bookmarks, thunderbird email settings etc).

In addition to what forestpiskie said, all I can add is that I would have used /mnt/data rather than /mnt/music, but that just reflects what you want to keep in there. You can create the directory with the command:
sudo mkdir /mnt/data
You can make a symbolic link to this from your home partition like this:
ln -s /mnt/data ~/data
You will probably have to change the permissions of the folder (after mounting the partition to it) to alow the required user access.

[Elfy]

Do you symlink in to the relevant home directory directories?

I don't - but then I just point my media players where they need pointing.

It's a good idea. User settings tend to collect cruft with time, and this time round I'm going through a process of deleteing all my user settings except for a few select programs (firefox bookmarks, thunderbird email settings etc).

Just an example - I have my spare mounting on /mnt/spare.

Effectively you can call it anything you want - I'd just not have spaces.

In addition to the additions - you can also not have a seperate /home partition and as long as when you reinstall you don't allow / to be formatted then /home stays. Done this once or twice.

Further -

so that i can either keep or avoid the application settings in my /home when i go for another installation

if this is the case then I would be inclined to not have a seperate /home and just backup the config's for those apps you did want to keep.

[candtalan]

I have used your approach for some years now, it is so useful to be able to keep /home/user clean, if I want. It is also simpler to decide about data backup.
However, I went onwards from the partition idea and used separate data drives. I think I usually mount these after an install process, I cannot remember. They are connected in anyway before installation begins, and I think they get auto mounted from Places or in file manager nautilus when I later use Ubuntu.

But because I use the two drives all the time, well one is, but the other is used to contain a complete copy of the first data drive, taken once per day, I
configure fstab to permanently mount them. My fstab entry is:

#data-a
/dev/sdb1 /media/data-a ext4 defaults,users 0  0
#data-b 
/dev/sdc1 /media/bak-data-b ext4 defaults,users 0  0

I also run more than one installation of Ubuntu on the machine (different versions, whatever, on sda) so the common data drive is even more useful with that.

An aside comment:
I know I am not using UUIDs here, but I do sometimes.....

[steninj]

As far as the data partition goes - create the partition and mount it in fstab. I do all of this after I've installed.

I prefer to have my data partitions mount in /mnt - this way I can allow removable drives to appear on my desktop - but not the data drives. If you want them to be on the desktop then mount them in /media

I've a music drive in /mnt/music

The corresponding line in fstab for my drive is

UUID=14ee47cc-54cb-4887-8773-fd53121efe10 /mnt/music ext4 defaults 0 2

You can find uuid for your partitions with

sudo blkid

To edit fstab after backing it up

sudo cp /etc/fstab /etc/fstab.bak
gksudo gedit /etc/fstab

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Fstab
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=872197

thank you for that valuable info..

but try to understand my situation...

i don't have much idea about ubuntu..

can u help me with step by step instructions..

situation is i have a live cd with me and all files in my system has back up...

i am ready for a fresh installation of ubuntu alone,NOt dual boot

[Elfy]

Assuming that you want to make a home and data partition then.

Boot the livecd.

Open gparted (or partition editor) from the system admin menu

Select all existing partitions - mark for deletion - apply

You now have a blank slate

Create your partitions.

right click the unallocated space - create an extended partition - apply

right click inside the extended - create a swap partition - read here https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Sw...do%20I%20need?


(also if you need hibernate or swap ignore that and swap should at least be equal to RAM)
- apply

right click inside the extended - create a logical - 10-15Gb in size - ext4 - apply

right click inside the extended - create a logical - make this as large as you want your /home to be - ext4 - apply

right click inside the extended - create a logical - use whatever is left - this will be your data - ext4 - apply

Once all the partitions are created - exit and start the install procedure.

Once you reach the partition section - pick manual or advanced.

There will be a representation of the partitions you just created.

Pick the 10-15Gb partition - edit - pick / as the mountpoint
Pick the home partition - edit - pick /home as the mountpoint.

You might be able to apply a mount point for the data partition here - not sure. If not we can pick that up once you've installed.

Once mountpoints are created - carry on with the install.


Edit - that probably looks worse than it is - once you've created one partition the others will be easy. Same as the edit and set mountpoint.

[steninj]

You might be able to apply a mount point for the data partition here - not sure. If not we can pick that up once you've installed.

Once mountpoints are created - carry on with the install.


Edit - that probably looks worse than it is - once you've created one partition the others will be easy. Same as the edit and set mountpoint.

thnk you so much forestpiskie for your valuable help...

you specified a mount point for data partition, what should be the mount point?..

i think a mount point is necessary here..


everything else is clear from your explanation...


thank u everyone