Share user's folders between Mint, XP and Win7

[mychance]

Hi,

I am installing a Mint-XP-Win7 multiboot computer and I was wondering if it would be possible to redirect the home folder, or at least the documents folder on an other disk's partition. I successfully moved the "Documents and Settings" folder in XP and the the "Users" folder in Win7 on an independent partition and I am still looking for the same move with Mint. The main idea, beside the commodity to have the same files at hands between the three OS', is to be able the restore the system volume backup image of each OS partition without worrying about backing up the files and settings.

Thanks in advance !

[altair4]

You might want to look at this HowTo for one way to do this:

HowTo: Using Bind to Remount Part of a Partition: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=74321

[severedsolo]

The easiest way I have found to do this, is to use symbolic links.

This is my personal preferred way of doing it, so adjust as you see fit

First, automount the "Data" partition on boot: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=22093

I'll show you how I go about sym linking my Documents folder. My Data partition is mounted at /media/Storage and my Documents folder in said partition is just called Documents so adjust for your needs and paths.

I'm also going to assume you want to move the "big 4" (Documents, Pictures, Music, Videos) only, so adjust as necessary. Make sure you copy EVERYTHING out of these folders that you don't want to lose as the first command deletes everything in those folders at /home/<username>

To remove the old folders (and all contents, so again make sure you have backed everything up!), open a terminal window and type.

Code: Select all

rm -r Documents

(repeat for all other folders you want to move)
Then to make the symbolic link to your Documents folder.

Code: Select all

ln -s /media/Storage/Documents Documents

[mychance]

Thanks for the response. Yes, I think symbolic links is surely the way to go. I am not very confident yet in line codes but in waiting that symbolic link would be available as a right-click option, I will give it a "cautious" try