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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](https://askubuntu.com/questions/269880/re-install-ubuntu-without-losing-data-in-home-folder) – karel Aug 13 '22 at 05:12

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