Need to install Spring to pre-made filesystems

[RandomCharacter]

My simple question is, can the BBQ installer be used to install Spring to filesystems that have already been made? If so, how? If not, can it be updated to support that?

The long version: I am seriously on the verge of switching to Arch Linux. I don't want to, because I love Debian more. A lot more.

Arch let me install exactly the way I wanted to. Before installing, I made two btrfs two-disk RAID volumes, then I ran the installer and used one for / and the other for /home. BBQ neither lets me do this nor does it let me choose btrfs when installing. If it does allow doing this, I havent been able to find it.

Thank you,
Tim

[pidsley]

My simple question is, can the BBQ installer be used to install Spring to filesystems that have already been made? If so, how? If not, can it be updated to support that?

The current version of the installer formats the partitions when you install, and only allows you to choose one of the ext file systems. It is just a bash script, so I'm sure it could be modified. Bacon talked about rewriting it at one point, but I'm pretty sure adding support for RAID and btrfs will be pretty low on the list. You could take a look at the installer and try to modify it yourself; it's /usr/local/bin/bbqinstaller.

You could also try to work around this problem by installing Spring to a regular ext4 partition, making a backup, and then restoring the backup onto your btrfs partitions. There are probably other ways to do something similar.

The long version: I am seriously on the verge of switching to Arch Linux. I don't want to, because I love Debian more. A lot more.

Arch let me install exactly the way I wanted to. Before installing, I made two btrfs two-disk RAID volumes, then I ran the installer and used one for / and the other for /home. BBQ neither lets me do this nor does it let me choose btrfs when installing. If it does allow doing this, I havent been able to find it.

If I may quote machinebacon:

If you think Distro X serves you better, keep it for yourself and leave silently. We're tired of reading (no matter on which forums) things like "why does it work on X and not in Y?" Do you often tell your wife how nice boobs your neighbour has?

I think you will enjoy Arch. I know I do. There are even several forum topics and wiki entries about running it with alternate init systems, so you won't have to suffer when Debian switches to systemd.

[RandomCharacter]

Well alrighty, then.

Tim

[ivanovnegro]

If you like Debian then you should maybe also consider to install Debian from scratch. I have no idea now how the installer works with your desired options because I did not use it in years.

[pidsley]

^ or siduction.

[wuxmedia]

Indeed the debian basic netinstaller includes RAID and LVM options.
I find it a bit tricky, but that won't be a surprise to anyone here. 8)
The basic install we do at work is RAID 1, on err, some of it, then LVM for the rest, backup'ed on another drive.

[machinebacon]

I may add that I am pretty sure I sent ratcheer the instructions how to skip the formatter part. Tim?

[RandomCharacter]

You were fixing a special script for me, but you specifically told me not to use it until you said so. I assumed you forgot about it.

Thanks,
Tim

[machinebacon]

Yeah I should have set up a VM to test it for you, first. Sorry for being lazy (and having dementia)