Contents
It certainly is possible to share a home folder (or partition) over different linux distributions. But take the following notes: UID and GID must be the same on each distributions for the certain user(s). (as already pointed out) different configuration files for the same programs could result in unexpected behavior.
How do I create a home directory in Linux?
By the way, if you’re installing a Linux system from scratch, you’ll probably see an option to create a separate home directory in your Linux distribution’s installer. Generally, you’ll just need to go into the partitioning options, create a separate partition, and mount it at “/home”.
Is it possible to share a home folder?
It certainly is possible to share a home folder (or partition) over different linux distributions. UID and GID must be the same on each distributions for the certain user (s). (as already pointed out) different configuration files for the same programs could result in unexpected behavior.
How to make Fedora and arch share the same partition?
Then, /home/ /foo/bar can be accessed via /home/ /fedora/foo/bar on arch, for example. If you want the paths to be the same, save most of your files to a third, distinct partition, and mount it in the same place within both distributions e.g. /home/ /stuff.
What happens if I install different Linux distributions?
(as already pointed out) different configuration files for the same programs could result in unexpected behavior. If you install all distributions onto the same boot folder, make sure that the bootloader handles the different distributions correctly.
What kind of boot files does Ubuntu use?
Ubuntu and Fedora both run Gnome 2.30, openSUSE has KDE4 and ArchLinux LXDE. All distributions have their necessary boot files on one partition. Switching between the distributions provides a persistent user configuration like intended.