`/home`

Table of Contents

Why the `/home` Partition Matters

On most Linux systems, /home is where user data lives:

Your personal files: documents, pictures, music, downloads
User-specific configuration: desktop settings, app preferences
Hidden “dotfiles”: .bashrc, .config/, .mozilla/, etc.

During partitioning, you can choose to:

Keep /home inside the root filesystem (no separate partition)
Create a dedicated partition and mount it as /home

This chapter focuses on the second option: using a separate /home partition and what that means during installation.

What Actually Goes in `/home`

Every user (except system/service accounts) gets a subdirectory under /home:

/home/alex
/home/maria
/home/student

Each of these is the user’s “home directory.” It contains:

Personal data folders: Documents, Downloads, Pictures, etc.
Application data, usually hidden:

~/.config/ — settings for many desktop apps
~/.local/share/ — user-level application data
~/.cache/ — caches (can usually be deleted safely)

Shell and tool configuration: .bashrc, .zshrc, .vimrc, etc.

From a user’s perspective, this is “my stuff.” From an admin’s perspective, this is what you want to protect during system changes.

Reasons to Use a Separate `/home` Partition

You can absolutely use Linux without a dedicated /home partition, but having one gives several benefits.

1. Safer Reinstalls and Distro Changes

If /home is its own partition, you can:

Reinstall the distribution
Switch to another distribution

…while keeping your personal data intact, as long as you:

Do not format the /home partition during the new install
Mount the existing partition as /home
Use the same username and user ID (UID), or adjust permissions after install

Result: your documents and most application settings can carry over.

2. Protecting Data from System Problems

If something goes wrong with the root filesystem (/):

The system might not boot or might need repair
Your /home partition can remain untouched and mountable from a live USB

This separation reduces the chance that a system-level issue will trash your personal files.

3. Easier Backups and Disk Management

A separate /home makes it clearer what needs frequent backup:

You might back up /home daily or weekly
You might back up / (system files) less often or just reinstall when needed

You can also:

Put /home on a larger/slower disk
Keep / on a smaller/faster SSD

When a Separate `/home` Partition Might Not Be Needed

It’s also reasonable not to separate /home in some situations:

Single-user, simple desktop/laptop where you don’t plan to reinstall often
Very small disk (e.g., tiny SSD) where partition overhead is a concern
Beginner setups where you prefer one large partition to avoid size planning

Many modern installers default to a single large partition (plus swap/EFI) because it’s simpler. You can still keep good backups and be fine.

How Much Space to Allocate for `/home`

This is a planning decision during installation. Some rough guidelines:

Light use (web, office, small documents):

/ (root): 30–40 GB
/home: rest of the disk

Media-heavy use (photos, videos, games):

/ (root): 40–60 GB
/home: most of the remaining space, ideally hundreds of GB

Developer use (source trees, containers, VMs in home):

Consider more space for /home than /, depending where you store these

You generally:

Avoid making / too small; running out of space on / can break the system
Give /home the majority of space if you store lots of user data

Remember that this is hard to change later unless you’re comfortable with resizing partitions or using more advanced tools (covered elsewhere).

Creating and Assigning a `/home` Partition During Install

Installers look different, but the basic logic is similar.

Step 1: Create the Partition

In the partitioning screen (often “Something else” or “Manual partitioning”):

Pick free space or shrink an existing partition (if needed).
Create a new partition:

Type: usually “Primary” or “Logical” (details vary by disk layout)
Filesystem type: typically ext4 for /home on most distros
Size: based on your plan (see previous section)

Step 2: Set the Mount Point to `/home`

For the new partition, set:

Mount point: /home
Filesystem: choose the one you created (ext4, etc.)

This tells the installer: “Mount this partition as /home when the system boots.”

If you’re reusing an existing /home:

Select the partition that already holds /home
Set mount point to /home
Uncheck “format” (or equivalent) so data is preserved

The installer will then:

Create user directories under that existing /home
Use the existing space and data

Step 3: Check That `/home` and `/` Are Separate

Before you start the actual installation:

Verify that:

One partition is mounted as /
Another partition is mounted as /home

Ensure only / has the “format” option checked (plus any new partitions you intend to wipe)

This is the main safeguard against accidentally erasing existing /home data.

Permissions and Ownership in `/home`

Each home directory must be owned by its user and usually not readable by others:

Example for user alex:

Directory: /home/alex
Owner: user alex, group alex (or similar)
Typical permissions: drwx------ (only user can read/write/execute)

The installer usually sets this up automatically when creating the user. If you reuse an existing /home with the same username and UID, ownership should match.

If you:

Reuse /home and change usernames, or
Import a /home partition from another system

…you might need to adjust ownership later with tools like chown (covered in other chapters).

Reusing an Existing `/home` Safely

If you’re reinstalling or moving to a new distribution and want to keep your /home:

Backup anyway. A mistake (like formatting the wrong partition) can still destroy data.
During installation:

Choose manual partitioning
Select the existing /home partition
Set mount point: /home
Do not select format

Use the same username as before if possible:

This helps match existing directory ownership and IDs

After installation, if needed:

You can selectively clean up old config (.~ backups, old app configs) if something behaves oddly

Some application settings may not migrate perfectly between very different versions or desktop environments, but your data (documents, photos, etc.) will remain.

Common Pitfalls with `/home` Partitions

Making / too small and /home too large:

System updates and logs fill /, leading to failures

Forgetting to uncheck “format” when reusing /home:

This wipes all existing user data

Mounting the wrong partition as /home:

You might end up with an empty /home and your real data elsewhere

Using the same /home for very different systems without care:

Old configuration files can confuse new desktop environments or apps

Most of these issues are avoidable by:

Planning sizes sensibly
Double-checking mount points and format options
Keeping separate backups of important data

Verifying Your `/home` After Installation

Once the system is installed and booted:

Open a terminal and run:

df -h — to see mounted filesystems and confirm /home is separate

Check your home directory:

Make sure it exists under /home/yourusername
Confirm your files are there if you reused an existing /home

If it all looks correct, your separate /home partition is ready, and your personal data is now neatly separated from system files.

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