Installing Garuda from Other Distro with separated ext4 /home partition

Issues & Assistance KDE
1

Hello, garudanians.

Let me tell that Its different approach with other issue in forum.

My issue is the installation of Garuda Linux dragonized being installed as Vanilla KDE without any dot files at /home/$USER.

I’am moving to use garuda after having system corrupt, my installation using separated ext4 /home partition from previous distro, and pre-formated btrfs / root partition.

I cant use “using previous home partition” in calamares because my laptops are GPT drives which runs on Legacy Bios. So, i have to use manual partition to avoid error. These are the procces of my interactions to fix the issue :

mv .* to backup_folder # in my $HOME  for emergency in case of dot files overwrited
  1. Then after it, i’am installing garudalinux on root partition and reuse /home partition with the same $USER as old distro.
  2. System boot properly but, its vanilla.
  3. Copying dot files from live-boot usb could FIX IT
  4. But dolphin file explorer is using /home/garuda instead using /home/$USER
  5. Default location in system settings was set to /home/$USER but no effects.
  6. Could anyone tell other issue if iam using dot files from live-boot usb and fix the current failure in dot files?
System:
  Kernel: 6.3.9-zen1-1-zen arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 13.1.1
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-linux-zen
    root=UUID=6888a136-1fd4-461d-a010-b0224472ac66 rw rootflags=subvol=@
    quiet quiet splash rd.udev.log_priority=3 vt.global_cursor_default=0
    loglevel=3 intel_iommu=off ibt=off
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.27.6 tk: Qt v: 5.15.10 wm: kwin_x11 vt: 2
    dm: SDDM Distro: Garuda Linux base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Portable System: Dell product: Inspiron N4050 v: N/A
    serial: <superuser required> Chassis: type: 8 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Dell model: 0J6GG1 v: A08 serial: <superuser required> BIOS: Dell
    v: A08 date: 08/03/2012
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 8.9 Wh (100.0%) condition: 8.9/48.8 Wh (18.3%)
    volts: 12.5 min: 11.1 model: SMP DELL 8NH5525 type: Li-ion serial: <filter>
    status: full
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Celeron B815 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Sandy Bridge
    level: v2 built: 2010-12 process: Intel 32nm family: 6 model-id: 0x2A (42)
    stepping: 7 microcode: 0x2F
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 2 smt: <unsupported> cache: L1: 128 KiB
    desc: d-2x32 KiB; i-2x32 KiB L2: 512 KiB desc: 2x256 KiB L3: 2 MiB
    desc: 1x2 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1596 min/max: 800/1600 scaling: driver: intel_cpufreq
    governor: schedutil cores: 1: 1596 2: 1596 bogomips: 6385
  Flags: ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities: <filter>
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics
    vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-6 code: Sandybridge
    process: Intel 32nm built: 2011 ports: active: LVDS-1
    empty: DP-1,HDMI-A-1,VGA-1 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:0106
    class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: Microdia Laptop_Integrated_Webcam_1.3M driver: uvcvideo
    type: USB rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 1-1.5:4
    chip-ID: 0c45:643e class-ID: 0e02
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.8 with: Xwayland v: 23.1.2
    compositor: kwin_x11 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
    alternate: fbdev,intel,vesa dri: crocus gpu: i915 display-ID: :0
    screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1366x768 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 361x203mm (14.21x7.99")
    s-diag: 414mm (16.31")
  Monitor-1: LVDS-1 model: LG Display 0x02e9 built: 2010 res: 1366x768
    hz: 60 dpi: 112 gamma: 1.2 size: 309x174mm (12.17x6.85") diag: 355mm (14")
    ratio: 16:9 modes: 1366x768
  API: OpenGL v: 3.3 Mesa 23.1.3 renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics 2000 (SNB
    GT1) direct-render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 6 Series/C200 Series Family High Definition Audio
    vendor: Dell 6 driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
    chip-ID: 8086:1c20 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.3.9-zen1-1-zen status: kernel-api tools: N/A
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 0.3.71 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse
    status: active 2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin
    4: pw-jack type: plugin tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL810xE PCI Express Fast Ethernet vendor: Dell
    driver: r8169 v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: e000
    bus-ID: 05:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8136 class-ID: 0200
  IF: enp5s0 state: down mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Qualcomm Atheros AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter vendor: Dell
    driver: ath9k v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1
    bus-ID: 09:00.0 chip-ID: 168c:002b class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlp9s0 state: up mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: USB2.0-BT driver: btusb v: 0.8 type: USB rev: 1.1 speed: 12 Mb/s
    lanes: 1 mode: 1.1 bus-ID: 1-1.2:3 chip-ID: 33fa:0001 class-ID: e001
  Report: bt-adapter ID: hci0 rfk-id: 0 state: up address: N/A
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 536.57 GiB used: 79.54 GiB (14.8%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 model: VENTUZ SATA SSD 256GB size: 238.47 GiB
    block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s tech: SSD
    serial: <filter> fw-rev: 9B0 scheme: GPT
  ID-2: /dev/sdb maj-min: 8:16 vendor: Seagate model: ST320LT020-9YG142
    size: 298.09 GiB block-size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B speed: 3.0 Gb/s
    tech: HDD rpm: 5400 serial: <filter> fw-rev: DEM1 scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 52.43 GiB size: 52.43 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 11.97 GiB (22.8%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda4 maj-min: 8:4
  ID-2: /boot raw-size: 4.19 GiB size: 4.19 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 154.5 MiB (3.6%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda3 maj-min: 8:3
  ID-3: /home raw-size: 104.86 GiB size: 102.65 GiB (97.90%)
    used: 67.43 GiB (65.7%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda5 maj-min: 8:5
  ID-4: /var/log raw-size: 52.43 GiB size: 52.43 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 11.97 GiB (22.8%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda4 maj-min: 8:4
  ID-5: /var/tmp raw-size: 52.43 GiB size: 52.43 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 11.97 GiB (22.8%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda4 maj-min: 8:4
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 133 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default)
  ID-1: swap-1 type: zram size: 7.67 GiB used: 256 KiB (0.0%) priority: 100
    dev: /dev/zram0
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 72.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 3959
Info:
  Processes: 214 Uptime: 1h 12m wakeups: 1 Memory: available: 7.67 GiB
  used: 3.83 GiB (50.0%) Init: systemd v: 253 default: graphical
  tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 13.1.1 Packages: pm: pacman pkgs: 1285
  libs: 341 tools: octopi,paru Shell: fish v: 3.6.1 default: Bash v: 5.1.16
  running-in: konsole inxi: 3.3.27
Garuda (2.6.16-1):
  System install date:     2023-06-26
  Last full system update: 2023-07-02 ↻
  Is partially upgraded:   No
  Relevant software:       snapper NetworkManager dracut
  Windows dual boot:       <superuser required>
  Failed units:
2

It is somewhat unclear what problem you wish to solve. If you want to copy the dotfiles from /home/garuda from the live environment to /home/$USER on the root partition, but have the user keep ownership, you can do this easily with rsync.

Backing up a moment, it may be better to complete the installer without attempting to reuse the old home directory from your other distribution instead. That way, /home will be on the normal Btrfs filesystem with its own subvolume, and will be set up with the configuration you are attempting to replicate out of the gate.

After the new installation is up, rsync the files and directories you wish to keep off of the backup onto the new /home directory. When you are done, you can remove the old partition if you wish and absorb the extra space into the Btrfs partition.

2 Likes
3
[Album] My garuda issue - Album on Imgur

Could you help me with it?

I dunno rsync could do like absorb old partition to new partition, but my ssd is only 240 gb and full of my data. It wil takes much time?

4

The picture you have shared does not explain what you are trying to do or what you need help with.

image

It looks like your SSD has six partitions, is that right? What's going on there?

If you have an external drive where you can back up your data to before doing a clean install, that will most likely be the easiest way to go.

If not, you can free up a partition of at least 30 GB on the drive and use that as the installation target while keeping the other partitions intact. Choose "install alongside", or use the manual partition and mount the EFI partition at /boot/efi, and the installation target partition at /. Then:

  • rsync whatever you want to keep onto the new installation
  • Delete the unneeded partitions
  • Expand the Btrfs partition to fill the unallocated space.
  • Increase the size of the Btrfs filesystem to occupy the full partition.

Like I said, backing up your data to an external disk and doing a clean install (wipe the full disk), then copy the files back afterward will be much easier if that is an option for you.

1 Like
5

Notes : All of my external drives partitions has ntfs partition from windows, and full of my data. And i will think to use ur solution on other devices instead.

The problem is doplhin use /home/garuda like in pictures. i'm using /home/saint as default location instead /home/garuda but dolphin force to read /home/garuda. I don't have user named garuda.

User garuda is default on live-boot usb btw.

6

It seems manually edit user-places.xbel configuration fix it
it will placed on /home/$USER/.local/share/user-places.xbel
Open then edit like in image

Solution was found by manually searching every configuration in dot files

7

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