My method is to usually create a separate partition for the /home
directories. That way when doing an install I just leave the /home
partition out of the assigned partitions to use. I then modify the
/etc/fstab after done installing to mount the home partition as /home.
If you don't have a separate partition, then I recommend you back up the
/home directory, do the install ( remembering to create a /home
partition for future upgrades) and restore the home directory. One
caveat on this method is top make sure that the user ids and names are
the same between systems. There is more than one "standard" being
applied by the different distros.

JMHO,
Brian

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Herrmann [mailto:b3d@kc.rr.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2001 11:23 PM
> To: KC Linux User Group
> Subject: Upgrade to Mandrake 8.1
> 
> 
> I'm getting ready to upgrade from Red Hat 7.1 to Mandrake 8.1.  Any 
> suggestions, words to the wise, etc.  Should I just get a new 
> hard drive 
> and start over?  Should I back up my /home directory and nuke my 
> existing hd?  What's the opinions out there?
> 
> Thanks,
> Jim
> 
> 
> 
> majordomo@kclug.org
>