Is it possible to switch from one Linux distribution to an other without loosing your own data?
Linux distribution switch
Yes. Just create a separate /home partition and make sure all the distributions use that partition as /home. All your data will be accessible as usual, but you'll have to reinstall all programs for all distros.
| Arno v. Lumig wrote: |
| Yes. Just create a separate /home partition and make sure all the distributions use that partition as /home. All your data will be accessible as usual, but you'll have to reinstall all programs for all distros. |
Just to clarify, it needn't be just /home, it can be any partition but /home partition is a preferred place to store data.
Edgehawk, you mean installed softwares? Then it won't be possible. If you mean user data then what arno said is true.
I want all my personal data to be accessible from every distro.
So i think i will make 1 swap partition, 1 /home partition for personal data, and 1 partition for ever distro i install. I start installing PCLinuxOS tonight.
So i think i will make 1 swap partition, 1 /home partition for personal data, and 1 partition for ever distro i install. I start installing PCLinuxOS tonight.
| EdgeHawk wrote: |
| I want all my personal data to be accessible from every distro.
So i think i will make 1 swap partition, 1 /home partition for personal data, and 1 partition for ever distro i install. I start installing PCLinuxOS tonight. |
That's actually right. Please see my post for more info -> http://www.frihost.com/forums/vp-698968.html#698968
Sharing /home is a poor idea. Different distros keep configuration files in home in different ways. Conflicts develop and stuff might not work. It's much better to create a seperate partition like /mypersonaljunk or something that you don't add config files to but can keep other files in would be a good idea.
| Studio Madcrow wrote: |
| Sharing /home is a poor idea. Different distros keep configuration files in home in different ways. Conflicts develop and stuff might not work. It's much better to create a seperate partition like /mypersonaljunk or something that you don't add config files to but can keep other files in would be a good idea. |
Not it's not. It's actually a good idea. Config files are stored in the users' folders and you can use different users for different distros. In my case, I'm using the same user for both distros. No configuration files will be borked if you are careful. Also, if the two distros you are using use are pretty up-to-date then the probability of things being broken is virtually 0%. I mean most distros just package stuff and it is not like they are patching them enough to make them behave differently.
If all distros were really the same, you wouldn't really need a dual boot in the first place, now would you? So I would certainly not recommend using the same user dirs on different distros... but do as you please, it's not my problem 
A good example of a posible problem is Apache on certain distros. Ubuntu has an odd way of naming the config files of apache (it doesn't use httpd.conf). Any distro who would use the normal way of configuring. Wouldn't work on shared config files (because it would see an empty or no httpd.conf).
Now apache configs are stored somewhere in /etc. but then again, just an example.
Now apache configs are stored somewhere in /etc. but then again, just an example.
What's the connection of Apache configurations files with user directories in /home?
| Arnie wrote: |
| If all distros were really the same, you wouldn't really need a dual boot in the first place, now would you? So I would certainly not recommend using the same user dirs on different distros... but do as you please, it's not my problem |
Who said that all distros were really the same? I said most recent distros used virtually the same software (distro-specific patches aside). Also, I don't think distro developers patch upstream sources so much that the software's behavior changes drastically. However, caution is still a must.
/home and /boot can be shared.
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