I tried Garuda-KDE-ultimate live USB and found it quite pleasant 
Now I would like to switch to Garuda-KDE-ultimate from Manjaro KDE but without the hassle of backing up and restoring everything(home, Steam library, installed programmes and KDE settings). Is this possible? So to say, to simple replace Manjaro by Garuda?
My issue is that my Internet is waaay to slow to reinstall everything and I don't have enough external storage space to backup everything.
Computer says: No
Garuda is not Manjaro.
and 
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So backing up as much as I can and download the rest is the way to go, right?
Here is what I do.
If possible I use two drives.
1x Drive:
- boot
- root
- everything system related
2x Drive:
- /home
This way I can swap out the base System any time without losing any of my data.
This does not save installed packages etc. but even that can be exported to a .txt.
If I can only use 1 Drive, then /home needs to be a separate partition.
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/home, yes, but not any of the .config stuff, except the Steam libraries, which are hidden in a subdir under /home/.config. You can clear out everything else there.
Applications and KDE settings, a big 'NO.'
I second any recommendations for keeping your data on a separate partition or drive.
regards
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I don't think this is a good recommendation for newbs unfamiliar with Garuda and its usage of BTRFS. It can also lead to funky results which the average Newb will then blame on Garuda.
Personally I'd recommend sticking with the default Garuda install on one drive (preferably an SSD), and store your data on a large platter drive.
Just my opinion YMMV.
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Yes and No.
I can agree that this might not be the best solution for a completely new user to Linux in general, but I strongly want to believe that people that switch to Linux want to understand what their system does. (To certain level and not in depth)
Yes not all of them for sure, but I wish most of them 
Also what kind of funky results results you have in mind that could occur?
You mean when switching from, lets say Manjaro to Garuda? (With my proposed partinioning sceme)
Yea I see that the /home partition is still EXT4 which could have some implication with Garuda since dependency to BTRFS.
But I would like to know more
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Like inappropriate configuration files from other DE's and OS's being transposed to Garuda. One size does not fit all, and for inexperienced newbs this is looking for trouble IMO.
Basically as people trying to provide support for Garuda on the forum, we have to assume the user attempting to install Garuda is a complete Newb.
Installing anything other than by the default Garuda method may lead to a poor result if the user is inexperienced. Then Garuda is blamed for all manner of bugs intuduced by the users non standard (funky) installation method.
Garuda recommends sticking to the default install configuration as provided on our ISO's as they come preconfigured
Installing the OS on non-btrfs disks is not recommended or supported by the Distro. Installing a multi-boot or multi desktop is likewise not something that Garuda is obligigated to provide support for.
What I'm trying to get across is that while experienced users may have no problems installing in a non standard manner (or if they do they are capable of fixing it themselves), however newbies may have extreme difficulties.
The Garuda volunteers are the ones left holding the bag for support on the forum, so I hope you can understand why we try to only encourage users to install by the default Garuda method.
If you choose to multi-boot Windows, Apple, 5 other Linux distros, along with installing 5 different desktops on Garuda, each with a different boot loader feel free.
Just don't expect support support from the Garuda support volunteers if you choose to install in this manner. While you are personally free to do whatever you choose with your own system advising others to install in a non standard manner is being totally inconsiderate towards the Garuda support volunteers IMO. Are you going to be there providing all the support for issues that result from the non standard installation methods you recommend. Especially as users could be following advice from your post on the forum 10 years from now.
Are you even going to be using Garuda in a year from now? That is why advising non stardard installation methods is nether encouraged or appricated by forum support volunteers. We're the ones who provide all the support here, and the person who's offering up alternative recommendations might be using a different distro next week. That is why the policy is to only recommend the standard default Garuda installation method for ease of diagnosing problems and support consistency.
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It is not recommended to mix users home directories from different distros. Manjaro has several differences from Arch (and Garuda that is Arch-based).
Nevertheless, if another option is impossible, the best approach would require a separate /home partition and enough disk space. If you have separate partition for home, take a deep breath, pray and boot Garuda ISO. In the installer delete Manjaro partitions, except /home, and install Garuda in a new btrfs partition with default options. After installation goes well, you may copy old folders to the new Garuda user folder, one by one, testing and without simple confirmations to overwrite files. You will have a mess and spend a lot of time and may not accomplice what you wanted. But this is the best you can get, since you have no backup drive and your time is more valuable than ours.
I clearly do not recommend the above to inexperienced Linux users!!
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I find the reddit conversations illuminating.
regards
I'd go with that, as well. Don't need @, @/, @home subvol confusion running rampant.
regards
I wouldn't recommend it to experienced users, either. I just spent the past several days "experimenting" with BTRFS setups...and may be more confused than when I started. 
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