Re: moving /var

["Joao Luis Meloni Assirati" <assirati@nonada.if.usp.br>]

> Hello List,
>
> On 01/03/13 09:53, Lars Noodén wrote:
>> On 3/1/13 10:41 AM, Maro? ?ilka wrote:
>>> What would be better way to do it ? Is it even possible to do such
>>> change on running system without worries to lose some data ?
>>
>> I wouldn't do it on a running system.  Better to boot from a live CD or
>> similar and do it from there.
>
> A simple live CD is sufficient:
> Debian netinst minimal CD in rescue mode is sufficient to do so.
> Do not forget to update the /etc/fstab configuration file with respect
> to the change; to clean up the /var (and let an empty one) in the `/'
> (root) partition.

It is simpler to move the partition in single user mode. Just issue the
command (as root)

# shutdown now

(not 'shutdown -h now' or 'shutdown -r now'), wait the system go down and
enter the root password when asked. You will have just a root shell
running. An even more secure way (in case single user leaves some program
running) is to reboot and pass the argument

init=/bin/sh

to the kernel by editing the kernel command line in grub. You will start a
system with only a running shell as pid 1 and the root mounted read-only.
Then remount the root read-write:

# mount -o remount,rw /

and do the dirty work. When you finish, unmount all partition other than
the root, remount the root read only with

# mount -o remount,ro /

and reset the computer (shutdown will do nothing).

João Luis.