[SOLVED] two quick questions

[KirbySmith]

Just installed Mint 14 over Ubuntu 10.04.1 due to an unLucky copying setup error.

Q1) Before Mint install, I used an Ubuntu live CD to copy my home directory to a new partition on the root drive. When installing Mint, I took the gear path and set the installer to not reformat that partition, use ext4 as it was, and that the partition was /home. However, my previous naming must have been incompatible, because now I have the following directory structure:

home
>home
>>kirby (this has my old home stuff)
>>>many folders and files
>kirby (new and empty in the major categories, but all the hidden files are there and probably different in some ways from before)
>lost+found

What is the best way to integrate the old me with the new me, particularly Firefox and Thunderbird files? Or alternatively what can I positively not overwrite?

Q2) There are only two ways to see anything (useful) on either of my Linux based computers, compatibility mode or with nVidia drivers installed. I used Software Manager to install the nVidia driver and X-window interface into MInt 14. I don't see the nVidia X-window manager anywhere in the menus. How do I get it to appear in the menu system? (I have not yet rebooted; so that may be the issue.)

Thanks for the help

kirby

hardware signature to follow in the fullness of time

[passerby]

For Q2, are you talking about nvidia-settings? Or is there a different nvidia config tool you've been using?

For the home partition you should just need to move the contents of /home/kirby into /kirby (or rename /kirby and move /home/kirby up one level).
Since it's another partition being mounted, the partition itself only needs to have /kirby in it. The partition acts as the /home directory, so there's no need for it to have a home folder within.

[KirbySmith]

A2) The nVidia X=server icon is now visible. I'm unclear why it wasn't available before. Maybe the addition of the large set of updates energized it.

kirby

[KirbySmith]

Thanks, passerby

Yes, the nVidia settings menu. It doesn't (yet) look like the form it had under Ubuntu, but I think it is time to reboot and see what happens.

I will follow your advice on /home.

kirby

[bb333]

Q1) Before Mint install, I used an Ubuntu live CD to copy my home directory to a new partition on the root drive. When installing Mint, I took the gear path and set the installer to not reformat that partition, use ext4 as it was, and that the partition was /home. However, my previous naming must have been incompatible, because now I have the following directory structure:

home
>home
>>kirby (this has my old home stuff)
>>>many folders and files
>kirby (new and empty in the major categories, but all the hidden files are there and probably different in some ways from before)
>lost+found

What is the best way to integrate the old me with the new me, particularly Firefox and Thunderbird files? Or alternatively what can I positively not overwrite?

/home isn't a directory but a partition that is just linked to a folder on / called /home.

For future reference you don't have to do anything to the /home directory. It won't be deleted on a reinstall.

sda1 / (format in the installer)
sda2 /home (DO NOT format this or you will lose your info.


Your firefox and thunderbird settings are in hidden directories in /home (.mozilla and .thunderbird). Back them up somewhere else. Copy only the settings/information you want to /home. It is not good practice to just copy all hidden "." folders from /home.

[KirbySmith]

Thanks bb333. I have been carefully copying stuff that seems to add value into the real /home/kirby. Firefox and Thunderbird now work as expected, although I have a few add-ons to re-install.

Also thanks for reminding me that /home is just a mapping.

kirby