So I made a 1gb partition for /home, and have that symlink to my windows NTFS partition.
The problem I’ve came across is that the /home partition has filled up because of .cache folder.
So I was wondering if I could move /home/user/.cache to the NTFS partition?
… or will that cause problems, or does it need particular permissions that NTFS can’t support etc…
I was going to mv it to the NTFS partition and then symlink it.it needs
I also have some space on the / (root) directory, but I wouldn’t know how to link it. Would I have to use fstab if I move it to /mnt ?
My idea is that you should try to find out why your .cache is that large.
My .cache us 49M at the moment. But then, I may run a different version of openSUSE and use a different desktop from what you use. You failed to tell us, so it is all guessing.
Using non-linux file system types for day to day Linux usage is a bad idea imho. My advice is to use those non-Linux file systems only for exchange of data between Linux and non-Linux operating systems.
I’m not sure as to why… but I can give you some information:
Running openSUSE 13.2 Harlequin … about a day old now.
Acer E1-572 laptop w/ i5 processor, 4gb RAM, 5gb SWAP
Using a disk usage tool, the .cache folder is at 711.1 MB
The main folders under .cache are:
OK 1 gig for home is not much these days. BTW you did not tell what desktop.
In any case 700 meg is large but not unreasonable. Looks like tracker is tacking the biggest bite. Currently mine is at 512 meg at the moment.
Really 1 gig is like nothing why so small? How big is the root partition. If you did not squeeze that down too much maybe you can run without the home partition.
You can use a NTFS partition mounted some where in you home as aux data. But it must not be Linux data. Linux file systems are different in design then Windows file system. So while you can use a Windows file system to share data between OS you can not use it as home or any important part of home like the cache. It will break things. It is bad like crossing the streams in Ghost Busters
Basically you painted yourself into a corner with allocating a much too small home partition.
I was under the idea that /home was going to be used for just config files, and I was gonna link everything else to the NTFS partition to keep it in one spot. I honestly didn’t know about the cache folder.
I can certainly increase the partition size, I just didn’t know what size it needs.
Is there a recommended size for the partition?
The permissions are completely different in the two OS. When you mount a Windows file system the permissions are faked and thus not persistant. Now if you want to share your music or some other personal files mounting a Windows partition some where in your home is ok. But any Linux files need to be in a Linux file system.
There is no recommeded size since for the most part it is for all users of the system to have their personal stuff. Remember that Linux is multi user by design unlike some OS that have mult user packed on top of single user design. So each user has his/her own home with all the configs etc… I will say that 1 gig is far too small and take care about where you attach a Windows FS because you don’t want important Linux files being written to those areas. And it depends on the applications you run and what Desktop. In a normal single OS system swap = or + memory, Root depending on file system 20 (ext4)-40(BTRFS) gig, the rest to home.
A common way to deal is to mount the Windows FS in directory off of root set up your sub directories and link them to a spot(s) in your home. But your home has to be Linux based you can have sub directories linked to Windows directories but the actual home must be Linux since a lot of files temp and configure get written there.
But, also pointing out, the way it is worded, it sounds to me like you have your /home files (configs, etc.) on an NTFS partition/filesystem … and, if so, that is a Very bad idea, IMHO.
NTFS does not handle the permissions properly for your /home files.
NTFS is okay for most DATA files, depending on context, but only if you are sharing the DATA with Windows.
The default partioning openSUSE uses (because the designers of the installer think that it fits usage patterns of many users) is one partition for Swap, about 20 GB voor de root file system and the rest for the /home partition (that is where all personal data of all users will go, not just configuration files of the applications she/he uses, but also his/her pictures, music, financial administration, letters to your grantparents, …).
Said that, it is a bit strange that “the rest” that is used for /home is only 1GB. I wonder if the installer realy offered you such a small /home. And when you did not use the offer of the installer, why did you decide to have such a amall /home? When there is no more space left on the disk, no separate partition for /home should be much better.
When you (think you) can not live without a multi-boot system with some Microsoft Windows, it is indeed possible to use the partitions set aside for that Windows system for exchanging data with your openSUSE system. Like it is possible to use non-Linux file systems on USB sticks and the like. Do not misuse this possibility to base a Linux system on non-Linux file systems. You will run into problems and I assume that you did not decide to run a Linux system and then tear parts of the basics that make Linux a more save and stable system out, to replace it with the technology of another operating system.
One of the people above said it outright, you painted yourself in a corner. Maybe a re-install with a better partition scheme is possible. To be able to help you here, we need information.
To begin with, please show us the partitioning as it is now by doing in a terminal window:
su -l -c 'fdisk -l'
It will ask for the root password.
Copy/paste this completely (prompt, command, output and next prompt) between CODE tags in your post here. You get the CODE tags by clicking on the # button in the tool bar of the post editor.
No, I understand about NTFS and linux partitions and permissions. That’s why I didn’t know if moving .cache would be a problem.
My /home folder is (mostly) just links to the usual user folders on the NTFS partition / Windows folders: Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Etc…
The idea for having 1gb was to give linux space for whatever else it needed – not Documents, Downloads, Pictures, etc – but things like: config and settings files and folders … and apparently cache – things that need linux permissions.
Not including the .cache folder the linux /home partition is only 177.6 MB, so 1gb would have been fine.
I wanted to have a separate /home partition because I’ve been trying / testing out new linux distros, and I tend to test them until they break. Reinstalling is much easier with separate /home partition where they keep my settings, links, etc…
Here’s an fdisk, to give you some clarity.
Disk /dev/sda: 465.8 GiB, 500107862016 bytes, 976773168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt
Disk identifier: AE201CEB-C3FB-47AE-8108-B0D04DAD3136
Device Start End Sectors Size Type
/dev/sda1 2048 821247 819200 400M Windows recovery environment
/dev/sda2 821248 1435647 614400 300M EFI System
/dev/sda3 1435648 1697791 262144 128M Microsoft reserved
/dev/sda4 1697792 135915519 134217728 64G Microsoft basic data
/dev/sda5 943638528 976773119 33134592 15.8G Windows recovery environment
/dev/sda6 135915520 161081343 25165824 12G Linux filesystem
/dev/sda7 161081344 200927231 39845888 19G Linux filesystem
/dev/sda8 931055616 943638527 12582912 6G Linux swap
/dev/sda9 203024384 931055615 728031232 347.2G Microsoft basic data
/dev/sda10 200927232 203024383 2097152 1G Linux filesystem
Partition table entries are not in disk order.
Here’s a df to give you a better idea of what’s being used
One of the suggestions is to reinstall opensuse. Why would I reinstall as opposed to just expanding the partition?
Is there a benefit to just reinstalling? I feel like that would be a lot of unnecessary work…
I can realy not guess what the implications of such an approach are. And I am not willing to spend my time in trying to do so. Sorry, maybe others will. Or even you do not ask advice here and did work out for yourself already what the consequences can be before you started this construction.
Of course there were suggestions based on what was known a that moment in time. No partitioning scheme was posted then, thus nobody could tell if there is free space at all and when yes, where. It is just a guess but I think that several ppeople (me included) assumed that the only 1GB /home meant that there wasn’t space anymore. Why else would a prcocess (installation) that normaly uses the “rest of the disk” result in 1 GB when there is more?
And I hope you do not think that your very special setup might be guessed by people here that are noty clairvoyant.
When you think you can expand your /home to a more normal size, that is of course also a solution.
BTW I see you found some way to use CODE tags (without explaining why you did not see the tool bar, etc, in the first place, so I am still wandering what could cause that, nice to know e=wen another one complains about the same pfenomenon).
You also did NOT post the prompts and the commands as I suggested. That might not alwyas be important, but sometimes it is and it is alwyas nice to provide your potential helpers with information, even if you think it is unimportant. And of course you wouldn’t have to explain that you did a df then, because it would have been in the code.
expanding any partition is tricky like did you know once you expand a partition you have to expand the file system??
There are certain things we ask those that have a problem here to follow. It makes are jobs easier (we are volunteers after all) and speeds up the process of identifying the problem and hopefully fixing said problem. It is frutrating when the person that has come for help refuses to answer the questions we put too them. There are reasons we ask what may seem to you not pertinent questions. Just remember you are the one asking for help or advise
I’m sorry. I’m completely baffled at what’s going on… When have I refused to answer any questions? The fdiskhcvv asked for is exactly what I posted. I supplied the df thinking it would give more clarity.
I came here to seek insight. I didn’t come here to be chastised for being curious.
I do appreciate the answers and volunteer time, but superior knowledge does not condone condescension.
No you cross posted. He did not see your response and was asking for it again. I was expalining general policy. Happens. You should hang around here a while and see how hard it is to extract information form some people. It is totally odd to me but some peoples simply ignore questions that could be important to helping them fix their problem. I have seen threads go on for days that could have been dealt with a couple of back and froth if they only said I configured thing different then the defaults and I’m using XYZ desktop and am attached to a disk array.
Forgive my ignorance, but I’ve only started two threads… unless crossposting means something different, then I don’t know what you’re talking about.
You should hang around here a while and see how hard it is to extract information form some people. It is totally odd to me but some peoples simply ignore questions that could be important to helping them fix their problem.
Yes, I know. I worked tech support for a good time. I try to be as friendly and cooperative as possible when asking for help.
As for this thread it’s solved.
Answer: No, you cannot move .cache to NTFS partition as it needs linux permissions; NTFS doesn’t support that.
Solution: Expanded /home partition.
