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

submitted 5 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] 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

16gb is a bit tight for the whole root partition, but maybe if you partition the HDD with a slice for /home/ and another slice for /var/. If those two are segregated to the HDD, you should be able to hold all the other root directories in the SSD.

[–] poplargrove 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I've done that, /home and /var on the HDD. The larger apps I use (libreoffice, gimp, firefox) I set up as flatpak user installs, and many others I use as AppImages, keeping them in my home directory. I haven't set it all up but it looks doable.