[oclug] Basic question

[Kevin McLauchlan]

I've got SuSE 8.1 on order, and SOME people 
claim that 8.1 does a generally decent job 
of upgrading, compared to previous versions 
-- as opposed to doing a clean install of the 
new version.

However, I don't trust my luck all that much.

So, my TWO questions are:

1) Before clearing out to install a new version, 
     what would YOU save, and why?
     To me, the only obvious things are my 
     e-mail, my documents and web stuff 
     that I have written, etc. -- basically, stuff 
     that I have created.

2)  If you were doing a new install, and 
     anticipated doing it again, in future, 
     what kind of partition split and mount point 
     assignment would you create?

In other words (for question 2) I'm thinking 
in terms of "one partition gets stuff that you 
would want to keep through the install/updates, 
and the other would keep system stuff.

Without a lot of experience, is there anything 
worth saving from /etc?  I mean, I'm the one 
without much Linux knowledge, so if I saved 
stuff I probably wouldn't recognize which 
parts to re-use in the new environment, and 
which to abandon.   Granted, there's lots 
of configuration stuff in there, but what are 
the chances that it'll be useful in the new 
environment -- with at least a new kernel, 
and probably newer X, newer file and 
window managers, and many newer versions 
of applications and tools.  It's just as likely, 
isn't it, that any config files that you save 
would conflict with newer environment and 
apps, rather than give you a headstart on 
configuring a stable, functional system... or 
is it?

In general terms, I don't know how to even 
weight the considerations, let alone know 
if I have the right idea or am entirely out 
to lunch.

Somebody give me a hint?    :-)

Also, SuSE setup does a lot of detecting and 
configuring, but they've been moving to 
a different model.  8.0 had config files 
in rather different places than 6.x and 7.x 
used to do.

My first inclination is to just save my own 
data, and let the Installation and Setup 
procedure take care of all the rest, and 
resign myself to weeks of re-configuring 
all the programs that I use.  I know it sounds 
like the coward's way out, but...    comments?

/kevin
-- 
"DIRty DEEDS, and they're DONE dirt cheap."
[Sing it with me, now...]