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It's not possible for me to update / upgrade 18.04 via terminal because I have broken packages. So if I do a fresh install from USB of latest version, will it overwrite my existing home directory during install?

Colin R. Turner
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  • Did you initially install with /home as a separate partition? If so, it's possible. If not, it's impossible. mount | grep /home will show. If there's no output, /home is NOT a separate partition. Backup! Test your backup! Before you proceed, can you restore from your backup? – waltinator Nov 17 '20 at 23:45
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    You control if it will be a clean install (ie. partition(s) formatted and blank new system is installed), or it uses just upgrade-via-install without touching your user files, and even attempts to restore the additional packages you had already added (on your prior system). Choose an option that doesn't format and it'll erase system directories, install new system, try and add the additional packages you had installed (if available in Ubuntu repositories for new release) then ask you to reboot - without touching user files unless you selected a 'format' option. – guiverc Nov 18 '20 at 00:17
  • Note: You didn't specify if you're talking about Ubuntu Desktop, or Ubuntu Server. My prior comment assumed Ubuntu Desktop (the restoration of prior additional packages is being removed though; so is or will be release specific). – guiverc Nov 18 '20 at 00:18
  • Home dir is on the same drive . partition as system. It's Ubuntu Studio I will be installing which is the same as Ubuntu Desktop essentially, right? – Colin R. Turner Nov 18 '20 at 18:43
  • I can't speak with authority on Ubuntu Studio, but I do know the following. Ubuntu Studio will use a different desktop (which varies on release, older releases used XFCE but modern use KDE and you need to re-install to switch from XFCE to KDE when you reach the change-over; you didn't mention release details). Ubuntu Studio also provides more software and is much larger; but yes esentially it's a different desktop (GNOME replaced by XFCE or KDE depending on release, plus loads more creative/studio software). Ubuntu Studio uses either ubiquity OR calamares installer depending on release – guiverc Nov 18 '20 at 21:10
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    You mention latest which is not helpful. Most end-users on this site have hidden classifiers to that phrase; the latest release currently is Ubuntu Studio 20.10 (2020-October release) but instead mean 20.04 LTS (ie. 2nd latest, or latest LTS). Ubuntu Studio 20.04 LTS was the last XFCE/ubiquity-installer release; the latest uses KDE/calamares; and upgrade via re-install allows you to skip releases. You should specify if you have a hidden qualifier on "latest" and mean latest LTS and not latest release by specifying a specific release (20.04 or 2020-April, 20.10 or 2020-October) – guiverc Nov 18 '20 at 21:14
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    Does this answer your question? Re-install Ubuntu without losing data in home folder – karel Aug 13 '22 at 05:12

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