[SOLVED] Install mint while keep userdata

[kuifje09]

I want to install LM 19.2 and keep my userdata, so I don' t have to restore anything. Hopefully...

When I read the docs around installing I cannot find that option, only to not format the disk.
But Not formating does not garantee not wiping the userdata.

When I filled the forms, and said NO FORMAT, LM will start installing, without mentioning about the userdata. So I stopped the install....

I know I did one before, maybe Ubuntu, and then it says there is an os already, erasing conflicting files. Or something like that...

Will it be possible to install without losing my userdata.

[Moem]

Can you please show us a screenshot taken with GParted open, so that we can see the partitioning of the disk?
You can do this while you have booted the machine from a live medium (installation DVD or USBstick).

[kuifje09]

Thank you, its just a / and /boot partition, nothing special.

The question is if LM will wipe the disk or just wipe /usr /bin /lib /etc and so on, but not /home....

I know, a reinstall has this option, but this is not a reinstall, however can be considdred as.

[Moonstone Man]

The question is if LM will wipe the disk or just wipe /usr /bin /lib /etc and so on, but not /home....

If you want to retain the contents of /home, you must have created it on a separate partition then use the something else option to manually specify the location of it. Your description of the structure of the drive clearly indicates that a reinstall will kill your current home.

[kuifje09]

Thats very sad but thanks for the answer. I will make a total new backup of /home for simplicity... and some other local stuff.

[karlchen]

Hi, kuifje09.

In case you start installing a new operating system, without having completed a full backup of your important user data files, then these user data files cannot be important.
In case you install by overwriting an existing root filesystem /, where /home is just a sub-directory on the root filesystem, but not a dedicated filesystem, you must have an up-to-date full backup of your user data files. If you do not have such a backup and proceed nonetheless, you almost beg Murphy to strike hard.

Best regards,
Karl

[Moem]

Thank you, its just a / and /boot partition, nothing special.

The question is if LM will wipe the disk or just wipe /usr /bin /lib /etc and so on, but not /home....

You just said you don't have a /home. If the only partitions you have are / and /boot, then home is not a partition but, like Karlchen said, a folder inside /.
This is exactly why some people (like me) always make a separate /home (which is a partition not a folder): for the ease of reinstalling, while keeping /home intact.

It's possible to change this on your existing installation, before doing the reinstallation.

Which OS are you currently running?

[kuifje09]

I am going from 17.? ( qiana ) to LM 19.2 , 19.3 still has to many issues .

Installing or reinstalling Linux would never be an issue on an existing system, no matter 1 FS of everything seperated...

It is about , will it wipe the existing data or not.

I did it before and worked perfectly, but forgot if it was Mint or Ubuntu. I would not expect different behaviour anyway, but to be sure I did asked for.
Once I did remove all OS files using the Life-CD and another time the install did remove the colliding files itself when not setting the format tick-box checked.
Both ways did install the new OS fine !

So I doubt if LM 19.2 will remove my user data, or at least it would be disappointing when it did.
Now I have to create a simple backup of my userdata to make a quick recovery possible, istead of rolling back from backup-sessions. ( 3 sessions in this case )

[pbear]

I've not done this myself, but gm10 posted a method for doing what you want:

My strong recommendation is to do a fresh install. If you had the foresight to create a separate /home partition when you installed 17.2 is not that painful. You can select 'something else' during installation and point mint at the existing /home partition and tell it to use it for /home and not reformat it.

You can do the same even without a separate partition. Choose not to format your / root partition, then you only have to delete all files on it manually - except for the /home directory, of course.

Sound familiar?

[kuifje09]

Although solved , I think it is good to know LM will not erase user data when you choose not to format.
Always wise to have a backup at hand....
Also the layout of your filesystems/mountpoints does not matter.

I just upgraded using the life-dvd while not formatting. !

Everything looks fine. ( Except for my Logitech Quickcam, which will not work now )

EDIT: not in cheese, but does in guvcview

[pbear]

If you're going to follow gm10's advice, it's important to follow all of it.

Reinstalling without formatting the system partition will come to grief if you don't delete all the directories/folders other than /home.

[kuifje09]

Installing whithout formatting is just a way offered by the installer, so I do trust it!. Would'nt you.
The installing process does wipe all colliding files en dirs... , you can see it as a partial format.
I did it now for a third time, and after years, still no problem, but maybe the mint distro is not that good ? we'll see.

This way of installing a new version of OS, makes it possible to do a big step in releases.

[pbear]

... maybe the mint distro is not that good ?

No, you don't fully understand the procedure. And, please, spare me the attitude. I'm the one who knew the answer to your question. You didn't.