2 Linux OS's... 1 Home Directory?

[Jayce]

I was thinking about using GParted to shrink my home directory down by about 12-15gb and using the unallocated space for use with testing beta releases of future Ubuntu distros.

I'm running a system that currently looks like this.

80gb NTFS Vista
1gb Linux Swap
20gb Linux Root
360gb Linux Home

Could I add a 2nd Ubuntu distro to it and mount (but not format) that 360gb section (currently Intrepid's home directory) to also be used with, say, Jaunty Jackolope's home directory as well?

Sounds like that'd be a messy boot loader, too. *shrug*

 

[kmote]

Yes, you could.

 

[Jayce]

I think I'll make a full clone of my entire hard drive first... something tells me I'll boot up with a grub error.

 

[farinha]

Yes you can. Actually most people recommend that you should do this so the next time you upgrade/format the SO you don't have to reconfigure all the software.

 

[Jayce]

Yes you can. Actually most people recommend that you should do this so the next time you upgrade/format the SO you don't have to reconfigure all the software.

I have a text file saved on my flash drive... it's something like

sudo apt-get install k3b ktorrent ubuntu-restricted-extras amarok audacity audacious... etc etc etc.... I just paste it to terminal when I install a new Ubuntu OS from scratch and within a few minutes I have all of my applications installed all over again. Sure, there's a couple like with google earth you have to select the checkbox to agree, but it's a small price to pay for the streamlined CLI feature I get to install 30 programs in 1 shot.

 

[farinha]

But that way you have to confgure all programs again, for example in a torrent program like azureus you have to configure the download directory, ports, speed, etc. If you keep your home you don't have to. And if you keep yor home you don't have to backup all your data.

 

[kmote]

Application settings shouldn't really be kept in the /home directory. A setup script would be the best solution if you are consistantly setting up the same programs in the same way.

 

[Jayce]

Application settings shouldn't really be kept in the /home directory. A setup script would be the best solution if you are consistantly setting up the same programs in the same way.

If they shouldn't be kept in the home directory, why after all this time would that be the default location that Linux (by nature) keeps them in?

 

[kmote]

Linux does not control and does not try to control where configuration data is kept. Normally though it is kept in somewhere in a subdirectory of /etc

 

[Jayce]

I was referring to all of the .hidden folders in your home folder.

I have a backup drive of all data in my home folder, including hidden folders. If I format Linux, reinstall it, and bring back all of my data from my backup drive, all of my application settings are restored due to the hidden folders being placed back in my home directory.