Jeffrey Laramie wrote:
My preference is to back up the /etc and /home directories (at least) and then do a clean install. You can come back later and add or replace the configuration/preferences files you need, saving the default file in case your old one doesn't work right.
I backup everything, before upgrading
What I do is create a /data partition that holds all my files and any program that didn't come with the distro (including my /home directory and a backup of the current /etc). I then backup the /data directory, do a clean installation, and set the /data directory to mount automatically. Presto! A clean installation with clean config files *and* all my old files to use as needed.
Isn't /opt for packages that didn't come with the distro?