Hey, everyone!
I just bought another M.2 SSD (500 GB) since the one I’m using has only 256 GB for dual booting with Windows 10. So, I’d like to use the old one for Endeavour OS and the new one for Windows. Is there a way for me to create a sort of image of EOS for avoiding the entire process of Linux installation again?
Thanks in advance!
You only have to install windoze to the new drive.
On the old drive, you can just reformat the ntfs partition to a Linux filesystem (like ext4 or whatever you use fo EndeavourOS). This will wipe out the windoze installation and leave you with an empty partition to use with EndeavourOS (in addition to your old EndeavourOS partition). You’ll just have to add it to your fstab.
Before (simplified, not showing EFI partition(s), swap, etc…):
Old drive:
| windoze partition | linux root partition |
After (again, simplified):
Old drive:
| free linux partition | linux root partition |
New drive:
| windoze partition |
Then you can, for example, move your /home/username directory to the now free Linux partition and symlink it.
Of course, make sure all important data is backed up on external drives, in case you screw up (but that goes without saying).
This is what I have not having the new SSD installed yet:
$ sudo fdisk -l
[sudo] password for alejandro:
Disk /dev/sda: 931.51 GiB, 1000204886016 bytes, 1953525168 sectors
Disk model: WDC WD10EZEX-08W
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x247a243d
Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sda1 2048 1534091263 1534089216 731.5G 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2 * 1534091264 1953521663 419430400 200G 83 Linux
Disk /dev/sdb: 238.47 GiB, 256060514304 bytes, 500118192 sectors
Disk model: ADATA SU800NS38
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x53dca4d9
Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1 * 2048 104447 102400 50M 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sdb2 104448 303654911 303550464 144.7G 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sdb3 303659006 499046399 195387394 93.2G 5 Extended
/dev/sdb4 499046400 500113407 1067008 521M 27 Hidden NTFS WinRE
/dev/sdb5 367613952 499046399 131432448 62.7G 83 Linux
/dev/sdb6 303659008 363659006 59999999 28.6G 83 Linux
/dev/sdb7 363659264 367611902 3952639 1.9G 82 Linux swap / Solaris
Partition table entries are not in disk order.
The sda disk is the NTFS where I have my backups. The sdb one is the old SSD where I have dual boot and it’s currently in use; as you can see, it has low space for Endeavour OS, that’s why I’m gonna use it entirely for Linux.
I’ll install Windows 10 on my new SSD and boot from the old one, of course, since is where the Grub menu is reading the partitions.
EDIT: I’ve installed Windows 10 already on my new SSD. Now I’m thinking about installing the newest EOS Neo version… any thoughts about partitions and sizes? I mean, swap, root and home. Thanks in advance!
You really don’t need to reinstall because everything new is already in your installed enos, except for the new defaults that comes with the new ISO.
If you really wish to do a reinstall then there are no set partition sizes you can just use the auto partitioner. It’s really doesn’t matter in Linux. Or is you want to do manual partitioning then you can do something similar to below.
boot - Just allocate 550 MB for this non-UEFI or UEFI will work both ways.
SWAP - As a rule of thumb lower RAM computers it’s best to set double the amount of RAM (2 x 1024 = 2048). If you have enough RAM then you can set a lower SWP file or go with zram.
root - 20+ Gb would be good.
home - You can use whatever is left after root.
I think I’m gonna wipe out the entire old SSD and create these partitions:
boot: 550 MB (Even when I only use Legacy)
/root: 40 GB (If I need more space in future, I always can modify that amount, right?)
SWAP: 2 GB maybe? (I have 16 GB)
/home: The rest of the SSD.
Is that OK or do I need to do something else?
More than enough, you are not gonna need to resize it.
2 would be ok, think that would be enough 16gm of ram is good. If you’re going to do hibernation or suspend your computer then give it 4GB to be on the safe side.
Other than that your idea is all good
OK. I think I’m gonna let 4 GB for SWAP partition just in case.
Is your system UEFI?
I see the old drive
Disklabel type: dos
It isn’t. It’s Legacy.
EDIT: I’ve just installed the newest offline EOS Neo version… but where is the default XFCE whisker menu theme? It looks like the Gnome version, which I don’t like. Any thoughts, guys?