Cleanly re-installing the system with existing partition?

[raen]

When I first installed Ubuntu, I set it up so that the system was on one partition and everything else was on another partition. I was told that would safeguard my data in the event of a clean re-install. But I've never worked with partitions before, so I don't know how to clean re-install my system without affecting my data. I'll be going from 12.04 LTS with way too many DEs to the current version. Can anyone help me out?

Thanks,
raen

[yancek]

Since you have only the one operating system (Ubuntu) and another data partition, you would select to install the new Ubuntu to the same partition on which the previous one was installed. Do you have a separat /home partiton or is it just a data partition? If it is a /home partition and you are asked during the install, make sure you do NOT select to format that partition. You might post the output of the command: sudo fdisk -l(Lower Case Letter L in the command) or and image from gparted showing partitions/drives.

[raen]

$ sudo fdisk -l
[sudo] password for me:


Disk /dev/sda: 1500.3 GB, 1500301910016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 182401 cylinders, total 2930277168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0002d3d6


Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 2048 390627047 195312500 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 390627328 2920509439 1264941056 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 2920511486 2930276351 4882433 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 2920511488 2930276351 4882432 82 Linux swap / Solaris


Disk /dev/sdb: 1500.3 GB, 1500301910016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 182401 cylinders, total 2930277168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xc8325555


Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 2048 206847 102400 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sdb2 206848 629147647 314470400 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sdb3 629147648 2930274303 1150563328 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT


Disk /dev/sdc: 2000.4 GB, 2000398934016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 243201 cylinders, total 3907029168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x58227d0d


Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 63 3907024064 1953512001 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT


That may or may not also be showing my Windows installation on another hard disc, but I will be physically disconnecting the Windows drive when I re-install Ubuntu.

[oldfred]

Post this also:
cat /etc/fstab

If sda2 is /home then use Something Else and choose sda1 (change) as / (root) and format it so it erases all your old system. And choose sda2 as /home, but DO NOT tick the format button.

[raen]

$ cat /etc/fstab# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid' to print the universally unique identifier for a
# device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name devices
# that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc nodev,noexec,nosuid 0 0
# / was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=87718c8d-0144-4611-9949-fb5d2f533846 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# /home was on /dev/sda2 during installation
UUID=c6bdbff2-91ec-4527-bf02-b9364ce83d88 /home ext4 defaults 0 2
# swap was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=ee6d5fd7-0434-4e91-b283-eeb8becfed07 none swap sw 0 0




My Windows disc is similarly partitioned, if that helps with interpreting any of this.

Thanks,
raen

[yancek]

How your windows disk is partition should not be relevant for installing a newer version of Ubuntu if the windows disk won't be connected. sda1 is the filesystem partition to which you should install Ubuntu and sda2 is the /home partition with your personal data so follow the suggestion by oldfred. You never mention which version of windows you have and that could make a difference since if you have 8 or newer you may have UEFI.

[raen]

How your windows disk is partition should not be relevant for installing a newer version of Ubuntu if the windows disk won't be connected. sda1 is the filesystem partition to which you should install Ubuntu and sda2 is the /home partition with your personal data so follow the suggestion by oldfred. You never mention which version of windows you have and that could make a difference since if you have 8 or newer you may have UEFI.

I mentioned that my Windows was partitioned in case the information I posted earlier showed my Windows side as well. I couldn't really tell. Anyhow, I currently have 7 (64-bit) but I'll be updating to 10 once I can get things fixed up on that side, as well as possibly installing XP (32-bit) alongside it for legacy software. (Will it matter which system I upgrade first? I really don't know how to handle GRUB if anything goes wonky.)

Thanks,
raen

[oldfred]

As long as grub is on Ubuntu drive and Windows boot loader on Windows drive, you should not have issues.
But either disconnect Ubuntu drive or make sure BIOS is set to boot from Windows drive when updating Windows. There have been cases where Ubuntu drive was set as boot in BIOS and Windows just installed a new 100MB boot partition at beginning of Ubuntu drive, erasing Ubuntu.

[raen]

I definitely plan to physically disconnect drive X when re-installing on drive Y.

[raen]

Post this also:
cat /etc/fstab

If sda2 is /home then use Something Else and choose sda1 (change) as / (root) and format it so it erases all your old system. And choose sda2 as /home, but DO NOT tick the format button.

To be clear, when I re-install my system, I should make sure things look like the screenshot you posted, except for un-checking the format button?

[oldfred]

I do not have a /home, so do not have a screen shot of that.
And yes, you make sure the /home partition does NOT have the check mark. Otherwise it will erase your data.
If you have made a lot of system settings manually, you may want to back up /etc. That would be if you manually had to change Internet configuration or edited grub. As those system settings in /etc will be overwritten.

Always best to have good backups, which you really should have anyway. Hard drives do fail. But often the biggest problem is us. Sometimes some of us who think we know a little bit will rush thru things and make errors, so everyone should have backups.

[raen]

I've definitely backed up my data, but thanks for suggesting I also back up /etc.

Thanks!

[raen]

One more question: Since I'm multi-booting, does it matter if I re-install Windows first or Ubuntu first?

[oldfred]

Slightly easier to install Windows first.
Windows always takes over MBR, and if you then want grub you have to reinstall it.

But you can easily reinstall grub, so not a big issue.
How to restore the Ubuntu/XP/Vista/7 bootloader
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestoreUbuntu/XP/Vista/7Bootloader
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/Installing#Fixing_a_Broken_System

[raen]

Then I'll do the Windows side first. Thank you. :)