This Archived Document is End-Of-Life, and is no longer being updated or corrected.
This Document is Replaced By: Mint 17 Xfce: Web Development Workstation

Mint 17 Xfce: Multi-Drive LVM Workstation Install

These are Rough Notes for how I install Linux Mint 17 Xfce on a multi-drive Desktop/Tower system using 2 drives. (Using 3 or more drives is very straight forward, once the below is understood.) As I continue to Install Mint 17 using LVM, the information in these notes will continue to expanded and evolve.

Only if you are doing a Reinstall of the OS that was loaded using these instructions:
Run the following 3 commands …

$ sudo vgchange -a y
$ sudo umount /dev/mapper/lts14-root
$ sudo umount /dev/mapper/lts14-home

… then skip down to Run the Linux Mint 17 Installer

Manually Create the LVM Volumes

$ sudo fdisk -l    # ensure the 2 drives to use are sda, sdb

Doing the below will erase all data on the physical drive that GParted is used to setup! This should be done only once, when first loading Linux – as any reload would use the existing LVM Volumes, with the option to not Format/Erase the lts14-home (/home) user home directories.

GParted → to create the /boot & Physical LVM partitions

IF Linux was already installed on a “to be re-purposed” hard drive, then stop using the on-drive swap partition.
- If Linux was installed using LVM → select the lvm2 pv partition → Partition » Deactivate
- if Linux installed w/o LVM → select the swap partition → Partition » Swap off

Drive sda (/dev/sda)
- Device » Create Partition Table (This will cause all data on the HDD to be lost.)
- Create a 2000MiB ext2 Primary Partition (to be used by /boot … “bootlvm” is the suggested Label)
- Create an lvm2 pv partition using the remainder of the drive space. (pv01 is a suggested Label for this.)

Using the top of window menu, it is necessary to Select “Edit” » “Apply All Operations” to actually make these changes to the Hard Drive, before moving on to the next drive.

Drives sdb (/dev/sdb)
- Device » Create Partition Table (This will cause all data on the HDD to be lost.)
- Create a 2000MiB unformatted Primary Partition (empty space, so all lvm pv are the same)
- Create an lvm2 pv partition using the remainder of the drive space. (pv02 is a suggested Label for this.)

Using the top of window menu, it is necessary to Select “Edit” » “Apply All Operations” to actually make these changes to the Hard Drive, before Quitting the GParted utility.

Terminal Commands → to create the LVM volumes

The below is assuming that at least two 160GB hard drives are used for this. Also, with how LVM works, leaving any remaining space unused – to permit resizing (enlarging) LVM Volumes as needed, creating other “purpose specific” Logical Volumes, etc.– is very desirable.

$ sudo -i
# fdisk -l     # confirm to use /dev/sda2 /dev/sdb2
# vgcreate lts14 /dev/sda2 /dev/sdb2
# lvcreate -i2 -I4 -L32G -n root lts14    # 2 drive, 4k stipe, 32GB
# lvcreate -i2 -I4 -L8G -n swap lts14    # 2 drive, 4k stipe, 8GB
# lvcreate -i2 -I4 -L250G -n home lts14    # 2 drive, 4k stipe, 250GB
# ls /dev/mapper    # should output the below

control  lts14-home lts14-root  lts14-swap

# mkfs -t ext4 /dev/mapper/lts14-root
# mkfs -t ext4 /dev/mapper/lts14-home
# mkswap /dev/mapper/lts14-swap
# exit
$ exit

Run the Linux Mint 17 Installer

Optional: … if there is a Squid-Deb-Proxy server on your local network

sudo apt-get install squid-deb-proxy-client

… Make certain “-client” is at the end of the above command! (Don't install a 2nd .deb proxy server!)

Run the “Install Linux Mint” application on the desktop
Select Language then continue when HDD space & Internet connection OK
Installation Type →select Something else
- /dev/sda1 → Change… → Use as: Ext2 w/ Mount Point: /boot
- /dev/mapper/lts14-root → Change… → Use as: Ext4 w/ Mount Point: /
- /dev/mapper/lts14-swap → Change… → Use as: swap area
- /dev/mapper/lts14-home → Change… → Use as: Ext4 w/ Mount Point: /home
- “Device for boot loader installation:” → /dev/sda

IF you are doing a reinstall on the same LVM volumes, and there is data on the LVM /home volume from the previous install, make certain that the '“Format” box for lts14-home is UNCHECKED to preserve the user files– including any per-user system/program configuration files– during the reinstall.

Select the correct Time Zone, then the correct Keyboard Layout
Enter the appropriate information for Your Name, Your Computer's Name, etc.
Click the button to Reboot the computer once the installer is finished.

Now continue with the After 1st Boot Configuration of Mint 17 Xfce from the Mint 17 Xfce: Production Workstation Install notes.

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Mint 17 Xfce: Multi-Drive LVM Workstation Install

Table of Contents

Manually Create the LVM Volumes

Run the Linux Mint 17 Installer

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Mint 17 Xfce: Multi-Drive LVM Workstation Install

Table of Contents

Manually Create the LVM Volumes

Run the Linux Mint 17 Installer

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