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Install only the "core" of the distro on an SSD, other packages on HDD? (self.linux4noobs)

submitted 4 months ago by poplargrove to c/linux4noobs

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I use Ubuntu installed on a hard disk. My computer also comes with a tiny (16GB) SSD that I've another Ubuntu installation on. While a fresh install on the SSD worked great, this is too small to hold all the packages I will eventually need.

Is there any way to only have the core bits of the distro on the SSD, and have all the other packages I later install on the HDD?

I want this so I can have a fast boot (boots slowly using the HDD) and since I'm happy with the speed of apps as they work while now installed on my HDD, I'd like to keep using them off of it.

All idea welcome :)

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

If I understand you correctly, I think you can manually create symlinks to the HDD. For example, if you want libreoffice suite to be on HDD, you would go into where the libreoffice suite is located on the SSD, move it to some location on the HDD, and create a symlink in its place pointing to the new location. This way, the data is stored on the HDD but all programs still find its way there.

I would also recommend upgrading your HDD to a SATA SSD. But of course, that costs money so, up to you.

[–] poplargrove 1 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Thanks, that sounds like it would work. But it also seems fragile since it would be up to me to keep track of everything.

So far I have found flatpak user installs but I'm looking for other solutions that would work generally for packages I install through apt.