[mdlug] Completely replacing Windows XP Pro with Linux!

[rstaff]

I am quite familiar with installing Linux for dual boot on two separate 
hard drives using Linux Mint and Ubuntu.  Windows OS on drive number one 
and Linux OS on drive number two.  So I thought installing Linux across 
2 hard drives would be similarly straight forward.  Ouch!  Not so.
Clue --- Hint --- I am using Linux Mint and Ubuntu.
The Dell GX260 (target PC) was originally setup for Windows XP Pro on 
disk #1 and Linux Mint 12 on disk #2.  Disk #2 had a "/" partition 
(ext3), a "/home" partition (ext3), and a swap partition.
Apparently the Linux Mint 17 installer had some kind of problem with the 
preexisting Linux formatting on drive number two.  It would only allow 
me to format for Linux on drive number one.  I went ahead and did that.
Using an Lubuntu Live DVD as a rescue disk, I used GParted to format 
disk #2 for Linux ext4.
I tried the "/home" partition move/copy process as Googled.
With repeated editing of the "/etc/fstab", and "/home" directory not 
found messages, I finally tried the chown command (with sudo) to match 
what it had been on disk #1.  Got a "Not authorized" message.  24 hours 
without sleep, brain all fuzzy, so I tried a fresh (re)install of Linux 
Mint 17.  The Linux Mint installer saw the second drive (finally) as 
sdb1 and allowed a "/home" mount point to be applied to sdb1 (finally).
One Googled article that talked about installing Linux Mint, had as a 
first step was using GParted to format the drive(s) and then using the 
Linux Mint installer (a clue my messed up thinking ignored).
Anyways, all is well and my Dell GX260 is a brand new (all shiny clean) 
Linux Mint 17 PC.
Thanks all,
Rick Staff
P.S. Did I mention that I like the user friendly Linux Mint.  Just 
another pig headed Linux user.  ;-)

On 07/21/2014 11:09 PM, Aaron Kulkis wrote:
> rstaff wrote:
>> Moving or copying the /home directory is way too technical and way 
>> too much work for me.
>> It did not work for me!  And I was following Googled instructions!
>> See << comments >> below for solution that did work for me.
>>
>
> Ok.  Since you are obviously unfamiliar with the process, why did you 
> choose to
> do this at home, alone, rather than bringing in the machine and doing 
> your install
> during an MDLUG meeting when we could help you get this done right.
>
>
>
>> On 07/19/2014 01:32 AM, Aaron Kulkis wrote:
>>> rstaff wrote:
>>>> I went ahead, used GParted to format the whole 2nd drive for Linux 
>>>> as an ext4 partition.
>>>> I then copied the /home directory and its contents (i.e., "/ricky") 
>>>> to disk #2.
>>>> I went through several editing sessions with the /etc/fstab file.
>>>> With every reboot, Linux Mint failed to find "/home/ricky
>>>
>>> everytihng that was in your home directory is now in /home
>>>
>>> you should make a home directory, /home/ricky
>>> and then move all of the contents of /home (except for ricky) into 
>>> ricky
>>
>>> << Huh? WTF! >>
>>
>>> << Read Below!  Apparently the second drive has to be formatted 
>>> outside of the installer. >>
>>
>>>> I gave up.
>>>> Now going through a reinstall of Linux Mint 17.
>>>> This time, the Linux Mint installer recognized the second drive as 
>>>> sdb1 and appears to have allowed
>>>> /home to be applied as a mount point.
>>>> Installation still running, will provide update when done.
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> Rick Staff
>>>>
>>>> On 07/17/2014 11:23 PM, Harry Burleson wrote:
>>>>>> During a Linux Mint 17 install, I keep getting an error that says
>>>>>> "/home" is outside the allowed space.
>>>>>> Huh???
>>>>> I have not encountered this error but I suspect the installer is 
>>>>> complaining
>>>>> because you are trying to install your Linux system across two 
>>>>> disk drives.
>>>>>
>>>>> If you want to use two drives try installing root and home 
>>>>> partitions on disk
>>>>> #1 . Then after you have a working Linux system create only a file 
>>>>> system (use
>>>>> GParted) on disk #2. Create a mount directory and mount the file 
>>>>> system on disk
>>>>> #2 to the mount directory. You will need to edit /etc/fstab . If 
>>>>> you want to
>>>>> expand the size of /home you can get creative with symbolic links.
>>>>>
>>>>> As an alternative, after a successful installation on disk #1, you 
>>>>> can use a
>>>>> live distro: Pmagic, Ubuntu, Knoppix, etc. Then with Gparted move 
>>>>> the /home
>>>>> partition to disk #2 and edit /etc/fstab .
>>>>>
>>>>> Harry