• utopiah@lemmy.ml
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    8 months ago

    At least have a dedicated /home partition. This way if you want to upgrade the OS, change distribution, heck even migrate to a totally different OS your actual data is safe. Also if you need to do a backup, “just” backup /home which is probably going to be significantly faster and convenient than the entire OS. It also avoid using e.g dd and get a rather opaque file.

    TL;DR: yes /home keeps your data safe

    • Avid Amoeba@lemmy.ca
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      8 months ago

      What’s the benefit of dd-ing a home partition over rsync-a-ing a home directory’s contents?

      • utopiah@lemmy.ml
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        8 months ago

        Well it’d result in a single file which if you have to copy on a microSD or USD stick might be easier. To also counter my own argument the result of dd can be mounted thus getting a rather useful directory quickly

        But anyway my point was rather the opposite, that indeed in most cases rsync, rdiff-backup, even scp (whatever one is most familiar with) to a local NAS, remote server, etc is usually better, at least more understandable for somebody who isn’t used to the process.