Windows trashed.

When I installed Ubuntu 12.04 alongside Mint 10 on my mates PC in the
PC shop today.

I asked if he was sure, he insisted he was so I did. ;-)

Part of the reason though was to be able to have a 'second look' into
why the mouse occasionally went mad on there, creating loads of new
folders for no apparent reason (I deleted nearly 40 when I got there).

He had already replaced the mouse for a brand new one but it was still
doing it.

12.04 went on there (an old Dell server of some sort) ok and seems
fast enough.

I logged out to show him how you could select Classic instead of Unity
but I guess I must have forgotten to install summat beforehand (I just
got Unity and Unity 2D)?

I just created a root partition for Ubuntu whereas I'd previously
created a / and /home for the Mint 10 install. I think I'm right in
saying that you shouldn't really share a /home between different Linux
installs on the same machine?


Cheers, T i m

I just created a root partition for Ubuntu whereas I'd previously
created a / and /home for the Mint 10 install. I think I'm right in
saying that you shouldn't really share a /home between different Linux
installs on the same machine?

Indeed, quite a few settings saved in /home as hidden files are install
specific so conflicts might arise.

On this laptop I have two installs in parallel, a 'testing' and a
'stable' version.

The testing version has a smallish /home with links to certain
directories on the /home of the stable install.

That way I have my data (like .thunderbird) available on both but don't
lose anything in case I want to do a clean install for testing.
Yes you can achieve the same with just a / (root).

On Sat, 21 Jul 2012 00:00:51 +0200, "Dirk T. Verbeek"
wrote:

I just created a root partition for Ubuntu whereas I'd previously
created a / and /home for the Mint 10 install. I think I'm right in
saying that you shouldn't really share a /home between different Linux
installs on the same machine?

Indeed, quite a few settings saved in /home as hidden files are install
specific so conflicts might arise.

On this laptop I have two installs in parallel, a 'testing' and a
'stable' version.

Ok.

The testing version has a smallish /home with links to certain
directories on the /home of the stable install.

Ok.

That way I have my data (like .thunderbird) available on both but don't
lose anything in case I want to do a clean install for testing.
Yes you can achieve the same with just a / (root).

So, are you saying it can be done but really shouldn't. Or it's ok as
long as you know what bits you must keep separate (or summat else)?

On Sat, 21 Jul 2012 00:00:51 +0200, "Dirk T. Verbeek"
wrote:

I just created a root partition for Ubuntu whereas I'd previously
created a / and /home for the Mint 10 install. I think I'm right in
saying that you shouldn't really share a /home between different Linux
installs on the same machine?

Indeed, quite a few settings saved in /home as hidden files are install
specific so conflicts might arise.

On this laptop I have two installs in parallel, a 'testing' and a
'stable' version.

Ok.

The testing version has a smallish /home with links to certain
directories on the /home of the stable install.

Ok.

That way I have my data (like .thunderbird) available on both but don't
lose anything in case I want to do a clean install for testing.
Yes you can achieve the same with just a / (root).

So, are you saying it can be done but really shouldn't. Or it's ok as
long as you know what bits you must keep separate (or summat else)?

On Sat, 21 Jul 2012 00:00:09 +0100, T i m wrote:

On Sat, 21 Jul 2012 00:00:51 +0200, "Dirk T. Verbeek"
wrote:

I just created a root partition for Ubuntu whereas I'd previously
created a / and /home for the Mint 10 install. I think I'm right in
saying that you shouldn't really share a /home between different Linux
installs on the same machine?

Indeed, quite a few settings saved in /home as hidden files are install
specific so conflicts might arise.

On this laptop I have two installs in parallel, a 'testing' and a
'stable' version.

Ok.

The testing version has a smallish /home with links to certain
directories on the /home of the stable install.

Ok.

That way I have my data (like .thunderbird) available on both but don't
lose anything in case I want to do a clean install for testing.
Yes you can achieve the same with just a / (root).

So, are you saying it can be done but really shouldn't. Or it's ok as
long as you know what bits you must keep separate (or summat else)?

For a n00b/fool such as yourself, it should NOT be done. In fact it
shouldn't be done by almost anyone. There's just no good reason to do so.