Backup Entire OS
I have installed linux on a machine. Now I want to take a complete backup of all linux using tar or rsync tool.
Then, I want to create ext4 partitions on another system with parted magic and transfer the backup contents to that new partitions instead of re-installing the complete linux again. Is it possible? |
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But there is no need to move into ext4 yet, unless maybe you are trying to overcome size limitation or fsck speed :) The potential loss of data is higher if you are exposed to sudden power outage without power backup due to its delayed allocation mechanism. Unless you are running a mega structure, or that your storage is measured in exabytes I think ext4 is not yet a matter of need. |
I just wrote about it here.
I have used ext4 the last 2 years and I wouldn't even consider using anything else... |
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Use mondoarchive, systemimager, or mkcdrec. Mondoarchive, especially...since you can 'snapshot' a running system, and have an image you can boot from over the network, which will recover the entire system, from partitions on up. Those are just three bare-metal system recovery tools. There are some commercial options as well. |
Why only tar or rsync? They are for file level backups. If you want to copy a whole file system, including anything in it's boot record, the simplest way is to use dd on the partition's device file (example /dev/sda6) when the file system is not mounted.
To minimise the size of the backup, while the file system is mounted run, for example Code:
dd if=/dev/zero of=/delete_this_file; rm /delete_this_file That fills all the unused space with zeroes which are easily compressed. Then, with the file system unmounted (for example by booting another Linux), run, for example Code:
dd if=/dev/sda6 conv=sync,noerror | gzip > /<path to where you want it>/sda6.dd.gz |
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