found out how to do it.
blkid #get uuid of desired /home directory
xed admin:///etc/fstab #add UUID=YOUR_UUID /home ext4 defaults 0 2


On Wed, Jul 27, 2022 at 11:59 PM T. Zack Crawford via PLUG-discuss <
plug-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org> wrote:

> Mike,
>
> Is your home directory on a separate partition on the same disk? If so,
> is it mounted? I think `lsblk` would give you that information on most
> distros. Full disclosure, I've only done something like this on Arch
> Linux, so maybe there are more informed people on the subject. A less
> technical/easier solution would probably just be to reinstall and point
> to the correct partition without wiping it. And everything gets much
> harder if you have encrypted disks.
>
> Since you are making big alterations to your main user, you might
> consider logging out and then logging into root on the tty or something
> like that. The root user's files are usually at /root instead of in /home.
>
> I think a short term solution that might work is something along the
> lines of:
>
> ```
> rm -rf /home/ #make sure you first back up the files you need
>     # or maybe better do `mv /home /home.bkp`
> mount /dev/sdXY /home
> ```
>
> And then long term you would have to add a statement in /etc/fstab that
> accomplishes that mount statement on boot. This is presuming your user
> name (and maybe UID?) are the same from your old install originating
> that home partition. Otherwise you might have to add some `chown`
> alterations afterward as well.
>
> See: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Fstab
>
> Be careful because:
>     1. Incorrect syntax in /etc/fstab will stop your machine from
>     booting properly. I think you can edit /etc/fstab on the command
>     line in recovery mode, but if not you'd have to edit that file
>     booted from a live installation image.
>
>     2. Running `chown -R` statements might possibly break how things
>     were working if they needed particular permissions. This would
>     matter much more if it were outside /home/your_user .
>
> You might do a practice run mounting the partition somewhere else, maybe
> in the existing home directory e.g. `/home/your_user/mnt` or something
> like that. Don't accidentally `rm -r` into your mounted partition. Add
> the partition mounting to this alternate point to fstab and make sure
> that process worked like how you wanted.  Changing fstab is probably
> going to be the most difficult part.  On Arch Linux there is a cli
> module called `genfstab` that might help you in the case it's available.
>
> I suspect you could probably get more guided help at one of the saturday
> install fest sessions. I've never been to one, though.
>
>
> Good luck! Someone interject if there is some bad advice here.
>
> Zack
>
> On 22/07/27 08:18PM, Michael via PLUG-discuss wrote:
> > On my new mint install home partition was preserved but was not set as
> > my home directory. I think home is on the root partition. I don't want
> > to reinstall again so would someone walk me through setting it up?
> >
> > --
> > :-)~MIKE~(-:
>
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-- 
:-)~MIKE~(-: