using default subvolume Layout when installing on one of several existin partitions

English Install/Boot/Login
#1

I want to install openSUSE on to a hard disk with an existing partition layout that comes from a previous Windows installation and looks like this


**[partition          type               Windows mount  FS          [/b]**

/dev/sda1           primary                 C:\       NTFS
/dev/sda2           extended
     /dev/sda5        extended              D:\       NTFS
     /dev/sda6        extended              E:\       NTFS
     /dev/sda7        extended              F:\       NTFS
     /dev/sda8        extended             none       ext4

my goal is to:

  • shred the pre-existing C: and install openSUSE where that was as /dev/sda1
  • keep the old D:, E: & F: partitions alive too keep the data stored there for the moment
  • make use of the default btrfs subvolume scheme as it is proposed by the SUSE installer
  • have a btrfs /home directory either sharing the old space of C: or using the space of the pre-existing ext4 /dev/sda8

my problem is that SUSE wants to make use the space pf pre-existing ext4 partion (/dev/sda8), shred that one and come back with 2 new btrfs partitions (sda8, sda9) and I can’t teach it to use the /dev/sda1 (C:) instead & keep the default subvolume scheme at the same time.
Neither could I see a way to manually define the default subvolume scheme at installation time whether I go for manual partitioning.

How could I go to achieve this?

#2

I’m assuming that this is for Leap 42.3. I’ll point out that the installer, particularly the partitioner, is different for Tumbleweed and for the beta Leap 15.0.

For 42.3: When the installer presents a proposal for partitioning, click on “Create partitioning” (or similar wording). On the next screen, click “Expert Partitioner”.

That should give you a list of all existing partitions. You can right-click on a partition and select “Edit” to change that partition.

For the partition that you want to use for root, check the box for “format”, and set it to use “btrfs”. The next screen after that should give you an option to set the subvolume structure (I don’t remember the exact wording). Click that, and you will see a suggested set of subvolumes. You can just accept that or make changes.

You will also need a “/home” and a swap partition.

It is safe to experiment. Until you actually start the install, nothing is written to disk. So you can click “abort”, reboot the installer and try again.

#3

I have not found any way to tell it to create default subvolumes automatically. Everything needs to be done manually.