Prior to installation, I used the live version to create the partitioning scheme I wanted. I wanted to use btrfs for the system, and use two subvolumes @ for /and @homefor /home/ ; so I created all that and defined @ as teh default subvolume as I noticed the zorin installer does not give the option to pick subvolumes.
Installation got done, had two more empty subvolumes created @/@ and @/@home, deleted them afterwards, no big deal.
The computer being brand new, it did not matter to me then that the installation override files from the subvolumes. That said, should I ever need to reinstall, I'd like to keep the populated @homesubvolume.
So can anyone confirm, that as long as I don't set the partition for reformating, zorin would only erase the files of the subvolume used for / and do not try to erase anything in the @home subvolume ? is this what happens behind the scene ?
If you reinstall the Operating System, there is no guarantee of security of existing files, even if not fully reformatting.
If the SubVolume is unmounted, it is essentially invisible. Maybe i misread your initial question, but it looked as though you were asking if your current setup was safe as is - the answer to which would be 'yes.' Zorin OS will not arbitrarily overwrite data on an unmounted volume or subvolume - but this is not how I would do it.
Instabilities within a system can lead to the necessity to reinstall. Or drives losing sectors over time can lead to a desire to reclaim lost space.
If you have data in the subvolume - I would recommend maintaining a backup.
Maybe I wasn't clear enough either, indeed my question concerned precisely the reinstalling case.
As for the backup of critical data, I'll be brief about it, cause I don't want to digress for long. In short my whole partitioning scheme involves another raid1 btrfs partition (the data partition) with subvolumes that are mounted in some users home folders ; and a fallback debian or ubuntu LTS install on a partition of the other drive.
Currently, I'm trying to assess which folders should be the object of a mount point from the data partition subvolumes. Hence my question about reinstalls and persistence of btrfs subvolumes such as @home (destined to be mounted as /home)... many files in a user home folder would prove convenient should they survive across reinstalls, but not critical enough to be on the more secure data partition.
Actually, maybe I should create a home subvolume with a name unused by the zorin install... and modify /etc/fstab... in case of a reinstall, I would just need to modify /etc/fstab afterward...
Using BRTFS, if you format when you reinstall, all subvolumes will be destroyed.
If you do not format, the installer will ignore existing subvolumes and create new ones...
So while not necessarily destroyed outright, they may not be visible or lose their markers.
Exactly - this would be what i would do, if it was me.
