Arch Linux

Skynet-X

Member

Registered: 2023-08-05

Posts: 6

How can I install Arch Linux with BtrFS on 2 separate disks?

I have installed Arch Linux using "archinstall" and for the partition I have selected 2 of my NVMe's (one is 500 GB for / (root) and the other 2 TB for /home) and deleted the @home subvolume on the first NVMe (500 GB) and created the @home and @.snapshots on the second NVMe (2 TB). Unfortunately the 2 TB NVMe is not mounted nor is it on fstab and when I try to mount it and add it to fstab, reboot, and try to login I end up in a login loop and never able to access my desktop. Thus I have to go to a tty and uncomment the second disk under fstab and reboot so I can login to my desktop environment.

I would like to know how can I install Arch Linux with BtrFS on 2 separate disks (/ on the first disk with subvolumes and /home on the second disk)?

Can someone please help me with this?
Thank you.

BluishHumility

Member

Registered: 2023-03-31

Posts: 26

Re: How can I install Arch Linux with BtrFS on 2 separate disks?

Are you deleting @home after it has been populated with ~/.config, et cetera? Try moving it to the second disk (instead of deleting and recreating it) and then amend fstab.

You can probably spare yourself some grief by getting through the installer with one disk, then move the subvolume to the second disk after the dust settles.

Skynet-X

Member

Registered: 2023-08-05

Posts: 6

Re: How can I install Arch Linux with BtrFS on 2 separate disks?

Are you deleting @home after it has been populated with ~/.config, et cetera? Try moving it to the second disk (instead of deleting and recreating it) and then amend fstab.

You can probably spare yourself some grief by getting through the installer with one disk, then move the subvolume to the second disk after the dust settles.

Thank you for your response.

I did not delete the @home after it has been populated. I assumed that it would have been created on the second disk during installation with the subvolume. For the first disk, I deleted the @home subvolume during installation and assigned it to the second disk.

I might have to reinstall. If so, what would be the safest way of moving @home from the first disk to the second disk after the full installation on the first disk?

BluishHumility

Member

Registered: 2023-03-31

Posts: 26

Re: How can I install Arch Linux with BtrFS on 2 separate disks?

Since @home is a subvolume, you can make a read only snapshot of it (https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/btrfs#Snapshots), send it to the new device with btrfs send (https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/btrfs#Send/receive), make a new rw snapshot on the new device, then change your mount point in fstab to use the rw subvolume on the new device. If all goes well on a reboot, all your stuff is there, etc then go ahead and delete the old subvolumes.

Last edited by BluishHumility (2023-08-06 17:26:33)

Skynet-X

Member

Registered: 2023-08-05

Posts: 6

Re: How can I install Arch Linux with BtrFS on 2 separate disks?

Since @home is a subvolume, you can make a read only snapshot of it (https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/btrfs#Snapshots), send it to the new device with btrfs send (https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/btrfs#Send/receive), make a new rw snapshot on the new device, then change your mount point in fstab to use the rw subvolume on the new device. If all goes well on a reboot, all your stuff is there, etc then go ahead and delete the old subvolumes.

Thank you for your response and help.
I will do this after reinstalling Arch Linux again.