Installation without formattimg home partition

Llama · 2008-04-08 10:38:13

I've got a hard drive partitioned as /, swap and /home. I want to keep this partition/mount scheme while installing the Arch as the only system, and I want to keep the data already on /home intact. I remember (correct me, if I'm wrong) that as soon as I assign the /home partition during the installation process, the setup just warns me about the data about to be lost. No option for keeping the data. How am I supposed to keep the data on /home while formatting the / ?

dyscoria · 2008-04-08 10:52:58

This is definately possible with the installer.

IIRC, it asks for the mount point, then the filesystem type, then asks if you want to overwrite.

kezar · 2008-04-08 11:00:07

Nope, go to the mountpoints section of the installer directly, choose your filesystem, choose, your mountpoint, then it asks you wheter to format or not.

Ashren · 2008-04-08 11:27:24

Llama wrote:

INo option for keeping the data. How am I supposed to keep the data on /home while formatting the / ?

In the installer you define what partitions to include in fstab. Include /home chose the correct filesystem, but chose NO when asked to format it.

Last edited by Ashren (2008-04-08 11:36:39)

bangkok_manouel · 2008-04-08 11:29:49

never had to do it but i guess you should not specify any /home mount point, install your system and modify /etc/fstab accordingly before reboot.

dyscoria · 2008-04-08 11:38:32

bangkok_manouel wrote:

never had to do it but i guess you should not specify any /home mount point, install your system and modify /etc/fstab accordingly before reboot.

No, it's possible in the installer. IIRC, there are 3 or so options: 1) auto partition 2) manual partition 3) set mountpoints
With the set mount points option you use the existing partition scheme (which in OP's case would be /, /home and swap). You would then just select a mountpoint for each partition. Select a filesystem type and then whether to format or not.

tigrmesh · 2008-04-08 15:58:48

@Llama
I can understand your reluctance. The installer does format the swap and / partitions. I have no interest in finding out whether the installer would format a /home partition if one were specified. The installer does not have you create a user; it just sets the root password. In the past, I have created my user, copied the user directory to my /home partition, and then set /home in fstab. It worked, but it wasn't elegant.

In the future, when I am ready to create my user account, I will set /home in fstab, manually mount /home (or reboot) and *then* create my user.

Ashren · 2008-04-08 19:11:27

The installer only formats partitions if you accepts this when it prompts you about it. But I agree the installer could be more clear in this area.

jeebusroxors · 2008-04-08 21:37:22

It does ask. I use 1 home partition over all distros and installed arch on at least 2 systems with the same setup (multiple times as well).
Just make sure you read if you are unsure of yourself. I usualy just don't specify my home partition when going through the mountpoints.

Last edited by jeebusroxors (2008-04-08 21:39:36)

Arch Linux

#1 2008-04-08 10:38:13

Installation without formattimg home partition

#2 2008-04-08 10:52:58

Re: Installation without formattimg home partition

#3 2008-04-08 11:00:07

Re: Installation without formattimg home partition

#4 2008-04-08 11:27:24

Re: Installation without formattimg home partition

#5 2008-04-08 11:29:49

Re: Installation without formattimg home partition

#6 2008-04-08 11:38:32

Re: Installation without formattimg home partition

#7 2008-04-08 15:58:48

Re: Installation without formattimg home partition

#8 2008-04-08 19:11:27

Re: Installation without formattimg home partition

#9 2008-04-08 21:37:22

Re: Installation without formattimg home partition

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