+++ title = 'Move /home Folder' date = 2025-01-29T14:30:17+01:00 tags = ['linux'] draft = false +++ You can move the /home folder on Ubuntu, but you must do it carefully to avoid breaking your system. Below are the steps to safely move /home to a new location.

1. Create a Backup (Recommended)

Before proceeding, create a backup of your home folder in case anything goes wrong.

{{}} sudo tar -czvf /home_backup.tar.gz /home {{}}

2. Create a New Partition or Mount Point (If Needed)

If you're moving /home to a different partition or disk, make sure it's properly formatted and mounted.

For example, if you want to use a new disk (e.g., /dev/sdb1):

{{}} sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb1 sudo mkdir /mnt/newhome sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/newhome {{}}

3. Copy the Home Folder

Copy all user data to the new location while preserving permissions:

{{}} sudo rsync -aXS /home/ /mnt/newhome/ {{}}

4. Update fstab

Edit /etc/fstab to mount the new home directory at boot.

{{}} sudo nano /etc/fstab {{}}

Add this line at the end (adjust the path accordingly):

{{}} /dev/sdb1 /home ext4 defaults 0 2 {{}}

If you prefer using the UUID, first find it:

{{}} sudo blkid {{}}

Then, add this line instead:

{{}} UUID=your-uuid /home ext4 defaults 0 2 {{}}

5. Unmount Old Home and Mount New One

Switch to a different session (e.g., TTY):

{{}} Ctrl + Alt + F3 {{}}

{{}} sudo systemctl stop gdm # For GNOME (or use sddm/lightdm if applicable) {{}}

Unmount and remount:

{{}} sudo umount /home sudo mount /home {{}}

6. Verify and Reboot

Check that everything is in place:

{{}} ls /home {{}}

If everything looks good, reboot:

{{}} sudo reboot {{}}

Things to Keep in Mind

If you're logged in as a regular user, switch to a root shell (sudo -i) or use a temporary user with administrative privileges.
If you face permission issues, you might need to reapply ownership:

{{}} sudo chown -R username:username /home/username {{}}

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