I’ve been using 10.2 since it came out and love it. Just put in a 2nd 320GB HD, both 320’s connected to MB via a controller card. YAST hardware detected the new HD…I apparently made the wrong choice as to selecting it as an extended partition. I am hoping to save the vast video I have in HD#1 in the new one, then format #1 and install 11.0 setting it up as before with 3 partitions…29GB for OS,…1.9GB for swap and the rest for my Home Folder. Ideally keeping all video in the new HD and putting produced ISO’s in my Home Folder for burning and then deletion. Can I install 11.0 in the 29GB partition without changing the others? If no, some advise on setting up the new one to save everything in my Home Folder to it before formatting HD#1 and installing 11.0 would be appreciated. Wondered about doing similar with an external HD, but would hate to buy one and find out I couldn’t easily save only the Home Folder to it. John
If I understand correctly, you want to move the video to the new harddrive, then go back and install SUSE 11.0 over the OS data portion on the old drive while preserving all the other partitions.
I can imagine having trouble with that, but find it highly unlikely if you are careful. I’ve installed several releases of SUSE that way, able to keep my separate ‘/home’ partition and use it under the new installation. You just have to remember to keep the user name the same, and YaST should simply pick it up as is.
At the point where you set up the partitions, etc., simply insure none of these other partitions are selected for formatting. Only format the 29GB partition where you plan to install SUSE. Also, make sure you tell YaST to label the old Home partition as “/home”.
Thanks Ed. Figured I could probably do as you suggest. Good to know you have done so. So now I need to rename and format the new HD in a different way than I did. When I choose ‘extended’ partition YAST didn’t even suggest formatting it. Am thinking labeling it ‘/usr’. Wonder also if I should put a swap partition in it? If I could end up moving and/or copying the entire Home Folder to the 2nd HD I’d be all set. John
It sounds to me you may have some gaps in your understanding, which puts you in good company with a great many Linux users. Maybe I can help a little.
The term “extended” in this setting is not necessarily what you want. It’s a term which suggests you intend to put more partitions within that drive. Thus, you can’t format anything until those partitions are written into it. Each one could theoretically have a different type of file system.
Putting swap on your secondary drive is a good move, but only if you need lots of swap space for things like a heavy database or video rendering projects. Since you imply you already have swap set up on the first drive, there’s no particular advantage in adding swap to the second drive.
If you plan to use the second drive for very large files, such as videos, you may want to make it all one big partition (“primary partition”), using type ext3. Don’t call it ‘/usr’ because that has a special meaning in Linux – it’s where most of the system files are. Nor should you need to move your Home directory there, since it will already be on the first drive, where Linux puts it under the ‘/home’ label for that partition. For a large secondary storage drive, it’s common to label it ‘/home2’ or perhaps ‘/data’. Then you can place all the folders you like inside that, and give your primary user account permission to it, or even ownership of it.
I could throw in a long list of links you might read on understanding the Linux file system, but I think it’s better to start with answering your questions, and telling you as much as you need to know to make your next move. So maybe we have something like this:
1st drive –
- swap partition [1.9GB]
- root file system “/” [39GB]
- Home folders “/home” ~279GB]
2nd drive –
- second home “/home2” [320GB]
Thank you very much Ed!! I’ve made some 170 DVDs in the past 10 months. So video is the bulk of my systems storage. Never had a computer before Dec.2001. I’ve replaced all the cards, PS, CPU, added RAM and fans[14 now],etc. Pretty simple to do that stuff. Switched to Linux after painful Microsuck experience$$$$$!!!] a little more than 3 years ago. Tried several distros [Ubuntu, Knoppix[?],but had trouble having my soundcard work. A kind person at a forum suggested SuSE. Been using it and openSUSE ever since. A little over 3 years with no anti-virus program$$$], mysterious scans of my computer, a pile of ‘driver’ discs and regular ‘Defragmenting’!!!, and of course the freedom to erase a HD and reinstall OS as many times as you wish without the ‘Product Key’ not being accepted a 2nd time [hence the above mentioned painful experience]. Couldn’t do anything with video for the 1st 1.5 years after the switch due to lack of properly working apps. Then another kind person told me about the Packman.de repository where I found Devede and have been happily making DVDs ever since. Your suggested partitioning and naming sounds good. Thanks again…John