9.04 upgrade - File Backup Problem

[finch127]

Hey everyone, I have a few small questions about upgrading to 9.04. I am on 8.10 currently, and i have a 2 disk system, one is where the OS is installed and the other is just a storage disk i have mounted on startup and i keep music, etc. there along with my documents on backup. I was wondering if i could move some of my programs there like open office 3, and vlc and other packages so that I dont have to re download all these upon upgrade. I just needed to know:

1. Is this even possible?
2. Where are the actual files for each program stored (or is there no central location?)
3. Would this pose any stability issues if i did migrate them?

[finch127]

So I did some more research and found that most programs are stored in /usr, so theoretically, i could just preserve that directory and reinstall only the shared library files right?

B/c my internet is horrid and downloading all the files takes forever, same reason why i wont just do update manager -d to preserve everything, its just too slow

[drs305]

How do you plan on updating to 9.04? If you do it online your current apps will be preserved, although updated. So will your configuration settings.

You can't really copy your apps somewhere else and then recopy them to a new installation. There are two things you can do if you are planning a fresh (CD) install:

First, you can make a list of your current applications via Synaptic, File, "Save Markings". Save it to a location that won't be formatted and then import it to Synaptic in the new install. All compatible programs from your old system will be installed, but without any customized configuration settings.

Secondly, you could move/create your /home folder to a separate partition. In a clean install, you would identify your current /home partition during the partition selection and make sure you do NOT format it. There are links on the forum to threads/wikis about moving a /home partition.

[finch127]

So the first method seems fine to me, I think I will try that one and let you know how it ends, but as for the home partition one, that would preserve all my applications? B/c i really dont feel like downloading the 300 or so packages and dependencies i have installed over again manually at least. The import method is good for me beacuse I dont have to select each and every one that way.

[finch127]

oh one more thing, if i have, lets say open office 2, and jaunty already has open office 3, it wont install the older version right? it will leave the new packages alone?