PDA

View Full Version : [ubuntu] Preservation of personal files and settings for clean install upgrade?



manoka
December 13th, 2008, 10:35 AM
Hello,

As my last online upgrade from Ubuntu 7.04 to 7.10 left me with a not very well functioning OS, I'm looking for information about the preservation of my personal files, folders and settings, and if possible even the applications, for an upgrade via a clean install with an install CD Desktop Edition (8.10).

I would also prefer to work with the OS and the applications on one harddrive, and with my personal files and folders on my other one.

Any hints would be very much appreciated!
manoka

P.S. I don't suppose it makes much of a difference whether an online upgrade is made via the Ubuntu website or via the "Update Manager"?

meindian523
December 13th, 2008, 10:45 AM
Personal files and settings:your /home/<username> folder including all hidden files(Ctrl+H to show them)
Applications:AFAIK,you will have to reinstall them.

Partyboi2
December 13th, 2008, 12:41 PM
If your /home is not already on its own partition then you could move it to its own partition. This would preserve what is in your /home and you would be able to continue to use your current /home if you were to reinstall or upgrade.
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/separatehome
When moving your /home folder to its own partition you could create it on a separate hard drive.
Or another way is to make a separate partition for all your data and what ever on your other hard drive and move all your personal stuff over to it.


P.S. I don't suppose it makes much of a difference whether an online upgrade is made via the Ubuntu website or via the "Update Manager"?
If you have a good internet speed then using the update manager is a good idea.
If you don't have good internet speed then you could download the alternate cd (http://releases.ubuntu.com/intrepid/) and upgrade by that.
Clean install is the best.

manoka
December 13th, 2008, 02:08 PM
Thanks Partyboi2 and meindian523.

I'm afraid I don't quite understand why I should make partitions if I'm using only one OS (Ubuntu) and would like to use both of my two harddrives exclusively for this - the only exception could be that I might use the bigger one of them to store and/or record videos from the TV.

Actually I already tried to follow the instructions on http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/separatehome, but it was impossible to do as described.

I seem to be unable to move my Home Folder to the second harddrive, but at least I was able to copy its contents (files and folders) over there.

But what about the settings? Are they included there?

As far as the applications or settings goes, I'm mostly worried about the connection of my USB-DSL-modem, as it was a bit tricky to get that to work, and I don't remember exactly how I did it.