In playing around with different Linux distros, many forums recommended keeping the /home folder in its own partition, so that, as one installed different distros or OS’s, the /home folder, with all of its data would remain intact.

So I tried that. And, of course, there was learning involved.

I had set up a 32GB /home partition, leaving 8GB for / (root) and swap areas. Then I installed Debian, which worked just fine. The only hiccup was that it required a specific, non-FOSS, driver for my wireless card. But when installed, it had crammed itself into the 8GB, leaving the 32GB unmounted, and unavailable.

A helpful tech on ##Linux IRC channel gave me these commands to run, which made the /home partition available:

mount -t ext3 /dev/hda3 /mnt (This mounts the /home folder to /mnt.)

umount /mnt (Releases the filesystem.)

/dev/hda3 /home ext3 defaults 0 2 (This is the proper entry for the /etc/fstab file. Edit and add this line to the file.)

shutdown -rF (Performs an important check on reboot.)

But not all was well.

While Linux/Debian still worked, the Gnome desktop was totally blank. Apparently, when I installed Debian, it had its own ‘new’ /home folder (somewhere in the 8GB). While I had not saved any user documents or files to it, it apparently did contain some settings, preferences, set ups, etc.

It was fairly easy, and interesting, as a learning exercise to rebuild the Gnome desktop, which, since I had to add everything myself, was the bare minimum of stuff, and exactly those items I wanted. “GUI without the cute.”

Not necessarily an easy way to go about this, but useful learning.

Just a few notes, to go along with my previous Linux/Ubuntu posts.

The PC in question, a Dell Inspiron 530S is a 2006 desktop with 3GB of RAM and a 250 GB hard drive, good enough to hold a whole lot of BitTorrent movies. I’m running Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) on an older, less powerful Dell laptop, and it works fine. I’m anxious to try out 9.10 (Karmic Koala) because its IM client, Empathy, supports voice over Gtalk. As 9.10 is still in Alpha, I don’t want to install it on this laptop, my primary computer at the moment. But the 530S is unclaimed for now.

With two Ubuntu installs behind me, I’ve found out that not all hardware is compatible and not all installs are seamless. I love Linux, but that’s been my experience. While the 530S is not being used, it seemed better to try a dual boot first, dedicating just 30GB to Linux. If that worked out well, then I could re-install right over the Windows OS.

Once again, the wireless network card was an issue. I’ve learned to install Linux while connected via an ethernet cable; if it has that internet connection, it can find drivers, etc. So, I installed Ubuntu fairly easily, but it couldn’t find the wireless network card, nor, of course, any wireless network connection (a requirement, in my view). Some Ubuntu Forum contributors said to try System –> Admin –> Hardware Drivers, to find a driver for the Broadcom 802.11g card. (BCM43xx). It found a driver, but repeatedly hung when trying to activate/install it. I even began the ndiswrapper process. But when I tried to install the driver again, it worked (unrelated, I think, to Windows driver tar.gz I had downloaded to my desktop). Not sure if a re-boot or two made the difference.

But, in short, eventually the System –> Admin –> Hardware Drivers process found a driver and activated it. Then the machine could see the wireless card and all the networks in the neighborhood, too. I clicked on my own wireless network, provided the WEP key, and was all set. I removed the ethernet cable, re-booted and, of course, the wireless connection was still present.

Now, I have to re-install, using the entire 250 GB and nuking Windows. Apparently to reformat the disk entirely is easier than trying to fiddle with the two partitions.

Update:

When I re-installed, using the entire HD, Ubuntu found the needed BCM43xx driver much more easily. I don’t know if the dual-boot installation contributed to the earlier difficulties, or not.

One thing seems clear: Installation with a live ethernet connection is a good idea. Not always necessary, but can make life a lot easier, if “Linux-unfriendly” wireless cards or other hardware are involved.