[Bug 195608] Re: [Feature Request] enhance recipe format to allow specifying an existing partition

[Dmitrijs Ledkovs]

I am inclined to close this bug as fix-released.

partman-auto: gained automatically_partition/reuse &
automatically_partition/replace strategies back in 2011-02-11.

This is meant to be reinstall without changing disk partitioning while
preserving (reuse) or not preservering (replace) user configuration for
the squashfs based install media.

If these automatic-partitioning strategies not good enough for one
reason or the other (e.g. it does too much or not enough preservation)
then please open a new bug explaining your use case.

You can test the reuse method by following steps:
1) boot into 12.10 DVD
2) Do a full-disk install
3) Boot into installed system and do any changes you want to test.
4) boot into 12.10 DVD and select "Reinstall Ubuntu 12.10" option
5) Boot into installed system and check which desired/undesired changes got preserved or not.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/195608

Title:
  [Feature Request] enhance recipe format to allow specifying an
  existing partition

Status in The Dell Project:
  Invalid
Status in “partman-auto” package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged
Status in “partman-auto” source package in Hardy:
  Invalid

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: partman-auto

  Fundamental problem for Dell install is that we would like to be able
  to let the user re-install their system, but keep the contents of
  their /home directory intact.

  One potential way to solve this would be to put /home on a separate
  partition and not format it during the install, but since partman does
  not allow this level of specification in the preseed file, this will
  not work.

  (Conceptually) What we need in order for this to work is something like:
    Partition /home  /dev/disk/by-id/edd-int13_dev80_part5  --noformat 
    Partition /         use-free-space --automatic --format
    Partition swap   use-free-space --automatic --format

  
  Any other way to keep /home during a re-install would also be acceptable. Currently, the disk partitioning looks like:
    /dev/sda1  --> Dell Utility Partition
    /dev/sda2  --> Dell Reinstallation Partition
    /dev/sda3  --> /
    /dev/sda4  --> extended
    /dev/sda5  --> swap

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