Re: [Sheflug] Some basic info please...

[Harvey Kelly <xxxxx [at] xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, Oct 09, 2001 at 08:32:15PM +0100, Ruth Gunstone wrote:
> This time, I intend to make this new partition dedicated to the /home
> drectory, which will contain /ruthie etc., etc. Seem sensible?

Yes ;)

> So, on a 10GB drive, how much would you recommend I reserve for /home?

Depends (I know, I know) I have 4GB for /home on a 10GB drive, but
everyone will tell you something different.

> Secondly, when I last installed StarOffice, it seemed to want to install
> itself in /home/ruthie/staroffice or somesuch. This seems silly to me. Surely
> it should not be installed in a user's home directory?!?! Where would others
> install it?

This assumes that you've installed StarOffice with SuSE/Mandrake I
guess?  And that you get asked for an installation directory the first
time you run it?  It is only asking where your personal StarOffice
(/home/ruthie/soffice I think - or something like that) will go, the
actual program itself is already installed.  It'll ask whether you want to do one of two installations - a 100MB (or thereabouts) or a 1.5MB.  Choose 1.5MB ie. your personal settings, ruthie has british spellchecker, jbloggs had US english spellchecker - that sort of thing.

> Thirdly. When I have the system up and running again, with a shiny new /home
> directory, what happens in the (hopefully rare) event of a system crash and
> requiring a re-install? Is it possible to reinstall everything keeping the
> "/home" partition intact - and will a fresh install recognise its presence
> and let me see/use it?

Yes.  It'll ask you to mount/select a drive, say hda5 is /home for
example, but DO NOT (capitals on purpose!) format it.  Sorry to treat
you like an idiot - I lost my /home directory when I reinstalled Debian
a few months ago: because I was rushing and not concentrating.

In theory you should be able to change distros and the /home directory
will be fine - but I've had problems with Debian, SuSE and Mandrake not
getting on well with each other's dotfiles.  Well, except Debian natch
:)

Good luck

Harvey
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