1

I'm trying to install Ubuntu 18.04 on my computer. I have an SSD and an HDD. I want to install the Ubuntu root / on my SSD (and my swap too), but install my /home on my HDD.

I didn't find how to do it during the Ubuntu install, so I installed Ubuntu on my SSD and I'm trying to move /home to my HDD.

What I have done:

Created an ext4 partition for my newHome with GParted.
Then sudo mount /dev/myNewPartition /media/stockFolder
Then sudo cp -av /home/. /media/stockFolder

I'm in trouble because Alt+F2 and gksudo nautilus don't work (command not found), but I need it to rename /home in /oldHome and then mkdir /home and mount /dev/myNewPartition /home and cp -av /media/stockFolder/. /home

If there is a solution to do it during installation it would be nice. Please help me to run gksudo nautilus?

karel
  • 114,770
Izaya
  • 231
  • Yes I have seen this post but even if pkexec nautilus works, rename home already return : This item could not be renamed : device or resource busy – Izaya Jan 20 '19 at 16:17
  • So which is the question, here? That you can't invoke gksudo nautilus, or that the home folder is busy? Or that you want to know how to set your destination $HOME directory on another disk? Because your $HOME will always be busy if you're logged in, so you'll need to try after booting from a "live cd" and opening a shell session with Super+Alt+T. Then you can run sudo apt-get install gksu as root, you can install whatever you need and it won't affect your actual OS fyi. – Benjamin R Jan 20 '19 at 16:31
  • I just want to install /home on another disk. One way is to move /home. It still doesn't work. I understand that I need to be out of ubuntu to do something on /home. But even if I run ubuntu on my usb key, I can't install gksu or nautilus-admin. It makes no sens. I tried with this : https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Partitioning/Home/Moving but also impossible to move /home for same reasons and if I'm running from usb key /home on my disk is empty. – Izaya Jan 20 '19 at 19:40
  • Have you tried this?: https://www.maketecheasier.com/install-ubuntu-with-different-root-home-hard-drives/ – Benjamin R Jan 21 '19 at 13:40
  • "If I'm running from usb key /home on my disk is empty." You're looking in the wrong place. Of course it's empty, you want to be looking on the drive where your /home should be! You can use udisksctl to mount the partition and go from there: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/mounting-hard-disks-partitions-using-linux-command-line/ – Benjamin R Jan 21 '19 at 13:45
  • The title is a mismatch with body ;-) – Rinzwind Jan 22 '19 at 12:33

1 Answers1

1

Here a solution

Finally I reinstalled ubuntu following this example : How to use manual partitioning during installation? but the point is that you can create a root partition on SSD and a /home partition on HDD even if you have the device for boot selected as SSD - like the step 8 of this example.

For those how want to move /home the best solution is here : https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Partitioning/Home/Moving and keep in mind you can't rename /home when you are on your ubuntu session. To do it boot on an usb key and you can use udisksctl to mount the partition and go from there: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/mounting-hard-disks-partitions-using-linux-command-line/

Thank you for your comments, they really help me to understand how it works.

I hope it will help someone !

Izaya
  • 231