easiest way to a clean install with yast partitioner (wipe existing partions before contueing on)

hi there,

quick question, quick answer I hope.

intel ivybridge ultrabook laptop with 128GB ssd.

originally had 42.1 on it.
then i installed 42.2 on it, not realising i had parallel installed it, so separate home and root partitions for both OS’s.
obviously the 42.2 install with ~10GB for each has now run out of space.

sod it, i’ll start from scratch and wipe the lot before running tumbleweed. one OS, with 128GB to play with.

i know i can do this on Win7, the partitioner makes it easy and obvious to play with partitions before continueing on with the install.

is it easy and obvious to achieve this with yast, and if so what steps do i need to take?

thanks

How important is the data??

With 2 homes do you now have important data on both?? How do you plan to merge??

In any case backup anything you want to keep just in case. You can do it with data in situ but there is always a chance and it is harder then simply wiping and starting from scratch

IMO Yast- partitioner is very good but of course you can shoot yourself in the foot. Basically make and follow a plan. I recommend you use EXT4 file system on such tight space limits

Hi, is the original (42.1) /home large enough for your current needs? If so, you might keep 42.1 as a backup OS, use the 10+10 GB (currently 42.2) as /root for Tumbleweed and share /home with 42.1.
Assuming that important data is only user data in (both?) /home(s) and you have no important system config (or can recreate it easily in TW), a possible procedure might look as follows.

  1. Copy all relevant data in the (42.2)/home into a (42.1)/home/backup folder.
  2. Backup the whole (42.1)/home in another disk just in case as gogalthorp suggests (with a linux backup SW or copying in a linux-formatted partition: FAT or NTFS don’t preserve file permissions).
  3. Start the Tumbleweed installer.
  4. When at the “Suggested Partitioning” page select “Expert Partitioner”.
  5. Delete the (42.2) 10GB partitions: select each and click “Delete”, then “Yes”.
  6. Select “Add Partition…”, “Primary partition”, size it at 20 GB (or more if you have room there…), select role “Operating System”, “Format Partition” to EXT4 filesystem and “Mount Partition” at “Mount Point /”, then “Finish”.
  7. Select the (42.1)/home partition, right click on it, “Edit”, “Mount Partition”, “Mount point: /home”, then Finish.
  8. Check that a swap partition (if you have one) is recognized and used as such.
  9. Click “Accept”.
  10. You are ready to proceed with SW selection and install as you like it.

Please set a user name different from those already in the (42.1)/home, sharing an already used user home with TW is a bad idea.
Unless you shoot in your foot, all /home data should be there (under the other user folders, ready to be copied/moved if needed) after reboot.
If something goes wrong, you should be able to boot the (backup) Leap 42.1 system still on that disk.

Have fun.

cheers guys.

seems you can also select “Use all the disk” option during install as a way of ensuring you don’t waste a load of space on old installations.