The thing is easy but I'm having lots of problems to accomplish it. I've always been told that you can do anything with Linux but I'm starting to doubt that, I cannot get a simple explanation or step-by-step to make it work.

I need to make an installation DVD with an exact copy of my Linux Mint 17 with all the programs I’ve installed and the configurations I made to them and to the system (this is very important).

I can’t clone the HDD and I don’t have internet connection in the computers where I have to copy the system to. I can only make a DVD with “something”, whatever any of you can manage to explain (installation disk, file copies, whatever…). I also tried “Systemback” but the live installation throws a critical error that their forums couldn’t fix.

I really wish someone can help me, my boss is asking me a DVD to reproduce the things that I have in my computer and I don’t know what to give him and the guy that configured this was fired, can't get to him. He wants to switch to Windows and I know that’s a worst option…

Thanks in advance

This has been asked (and answered) many times. Searching this site or Google would turn up lots.

A brief search will turn up mkcdrec, systemimager, and mondoarchive. ALL of those (especially mondoarchive), can create a bootable ISO image, suitable for network use, or recovery via burning to DVD. Mondoarchive is easy to set up, and the ISO it creates can be burned to a multiple DVD set, and it will re-create your entire partition table, and 'clone' a whole system.

https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=179932

More importantly, you need to address the REAL issue, in that you can't reproduce the things you have now. If you don't know how your system is working, you need to figure that out. Putting in a DVD and hoping for the best isn't a good way to do things.

2 members found this post helpful.

http://xyproblem.info/

What are you actually trying to accomplish? What is the actual problem, other than avoiding Windows, that creating this DVD is supposed to solve?

So, You don't know how to list installed software?
And your answer is to ask to duplicate the entire system to still not know how to get the info from Two Places?

The boss will next ask how to get the installed software list from a DVD, and guess what? You're about to look really stupid...
You'll clone and re-image the DVD and you still won't know how to list installed software.

Show the List of Installed Packages on Ubuntu or Debian
Linux Mint 17.x is same base as Ubuntu 14.04.x

Sorry for being so crude.

You make these statements as if to imply that all should be entirely simple and this all should already be done.What you've said is that you can't do this task. Inform your boss that this task is beyond your expertise. If the person who configured that system was fired, then why were they fired? Because the boss is an arrogant, never take "no" for an answer person? Or because that dismissed person went too far and caused disruption as well as other workplace problems? Still, I'd inform your boss that your job role was not to be a Linux person because you sound entirely out of your element, as well as do not have any helpful guidance from this boss as to how to accomplish this feat.

Personally I'd clone the disk, but I'd also inquire that if it was to be converted to Windows, then why any information on the system specific to Linux was needed to be retained. Data, yes, however you can get the data now without copying the installation.

And to add to this, what would moving to Windows accomplish??? You *STILL* can't do what you're after with a stock Windows installation, and if you don't know how to install/configure things, the operating system isn't going to matter.

You can clone the drive. Not sure why you say that. How much does a small usb drive cost?

I'd buy acronis maybe and use it if you didn't want to use clonezilla or other software. I get the feeling this config won't fit on a dvd unless it is really small and you compress the data a lot.

There may be 100 different and useful ways to make a copy of your system. Even something simple like G4U can copy between two computers. How hard would it be to get a laptop or desktop and connect the two with a nic cable?

Clones and copies don't always work as expected however. You may have to do some work if you attempt to move this image to a different system.

The best way is to make a cook book recipe of your build and configs I'd think. Using the package manager report and copies of your configs may simplify the process to create a new system.

Well, haha, I got lots of life tips and how I should manage a boss you don't know in a job you don't know involving a life you don't know, I'm not stupid, I'm just new at Linux, I DID ask this in "Linux - Newbie", didn't I? My boss is a piece of shit, the company fires people on a regular bases and my wife is pregnant, worst moment to start questioning people and its methods, though I KNOW that most of the things you all said are true and I really want to say that and more to this son of a bitch. However I can't and I will address this matter as the situation I'm in demands it, I'm really sorry.

Again, I'm new at Linux, please bare with me so I can do this and keep on learning after this task is done, cause obviously I'm going to have to reserch all the things that the previous guy left here.


I'd like to ask for personal opinions too, I can reserch 100 programs and still not know from experience which one would be best for the thing I'm asking. For example, I won't need multiple DVDs as you mention, I'm positive about it, this guy left a fresh copy of Mint 17 with just the software needed for my future task, which are no more than 10 programs. So it would be a useless feature for me to take into account. I would like something like "I tried this software several times and my friends too and I thing it's the only option you're gonna need". Then, with that info (and more if possible), I'd start looking up where the F i can find the program, how the F it's installed and what to do to get a working iso of my system, which is basically the things I'm having problems with, the step-by-step till I get the software running.

Which one of mkcdrec, systemimager or mondoarchive would be best in your opinion?


No, that I do know, the things I don't know are where he got the software from, how it was installed (tar? repositories?) and the configuration they were given, including data entered, calibration, etc.

I know that many things are simpler than they are answered most of the time. I've gotten answers like "Install a LAMP from the repositories" instead of "install LAMP by copying this in the terminal: sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get install apache2 mysql-server php5" (for making the command brief). You see, there are better ways to answer a newbie wothout putting much effort into it.

I'm sorry if I'm asking too much, It's the only place I can get help for Linux and frankly I thought I'd get simpler and more friendly answers like: "Use this, here's the link to the installation guide ", Didn't know this was more difficult than it seemed, I'm really sorry for causing this much trouble, frankly it was not my intention whatsoever, I just want to keep my job...

Anyway, I'm really thankful for the replies, I can investigate something with what you've told me if I don't get more thorough replies on the next few days.

Thanks!

Yes, and I have my share of problems too, as does everyone else here. If you want to be sarcastic about things and 'life tips', good luck to you. The points remain valid: if you don't know how to do something, just parroting back what you're told (or reloading an already-working system) is *NOT KNOWLEDGE*. You may have a job to do, but the GOAL is to keep a system up and running...you CANNOT do that without knowing the HOW behind it...Windows, Mac, or Linux is immaterial. A system snapshot is fine....until the FIRST TIME you get asked to change something/modify something, and won't know how. You mention going back to Windows....if that's where your knowledge is, then why hesitate? Use Windows.
Yes, and we are all here to assist...but you do need to take a bigger-picture look at things. A recovery image is useless unless you know what it does after the fact, and how to check things after they're restored.
...which is exactly why I told you THREE options in my first reply, and told you which best fit your needs, didn't I? You said, in your first post that (for some reason?) you can't clone the disk (why? Makes no sense that you can't), and that you don't have an Internet connection (again, why? Makes little sense in this day and age that a server can't get updates). Mondoarchive makes ISO images of a working system. So, again, the OS doesn't matter...simple math and common sense come in to play:

• The OS is probably about a 4.7GB DVD image BY ITSELF
• ...and the applications ADD TO THAT
• ...as do the DATA and/or databases that the application use
• ...which means that the OS with the software/data/whatever-else-you-have on the disk is MORE THAN ONE DVD IMAGE
• ...which means that you need the CAPABILITY of creating/using more than one ISO image.
• ...because the boot loader, recovery programs, etc., add still MORE to a bare-metal recovery image

Again, this isn't just Linux....you can't just shove in a Windows DVD, load the system, and have one disk that has JUST your programs on it, so why expect Linux to? A system snapshot contains EVERYTHING: OS, applications, data, home directories, files, preferences...EVERYTHING. That is what a system snapshot is.
Mondoarchive, which is what I said in my first reply.
The first step is identifying the software used. Chances are it was installed via repository, which means an Internet connection. If it was installed from source (typically NOT, especially with a distro like Mint), you can download that software from whatever page it's on. A Google search will lead you to the home page for whatever program it is. They weren't GIVEN a configuration...systems administrators CREATE the configuration...sometimes based on needs or a sample file, but mostly by reading the documentation.

You don't say WHAT programs, so we can't exactly tell you where to get them or how they were configured.
Just putting the "mondoarchive" into Google leads you to their page:
http://www.mondorescue.org/

...which has complete documentation:
http://www.mondorescue.org/docs.shtml

...and putting "how to install mondoarchive on linux mint 17" into Google pulls up:
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=179932

..the same link I gave you to start with, which has complete step-by-step instructions on "where the F to find the program", "how the f" to install them. At the bottom of that page, it leads you to:
http://jsmylinux.no-ip.org/backups/m...reate-a-clone/

...the exact procedure to clone your system to an ISO image, using the program you just installed. At the bottom of THAT page is another how-to on how to USE that ISO image to re-create your system.

Remember to always be professional, no matter how poorly and unprofessionally the other person may act by the way. Just . Please also avoid profanity use on the forums.Do not be sorry for asking a difficult question. There are two or three paths here. First, look at all TB0ne has offered. Maybe earlier than first, get a full backup of the disk image a'la live booting from a USB stick, adding an additional drive, and then performing the dd command on the entire original disk to the added backup which should be larger than the original.

Also inform you boss that this is not trivial, that there are risks where you will not be able to duplicate the exact configuration, or it's possible that you may be able to, however it will take a good deal of time. I think you clearly understand this. The bottom line is that someone is gone, they're asking/telling you to clean up the mess and also learn what that person did with no training or experience. Best you can do is continue to learn until you get things correct. However my suspicion is that you're being set up for failure, because obviously the other person holds all the controls.

Finally and foremost, start looking for another job!

I can't emphasize that enough. Old guy's advice, what can I say. I lived and died with the Internet bubble and did not cash in (obviously), however I've maintained work. I've also managed to work in horrible environments, terrible commutes, and for some dastardly bosses. I've also worked some excellent positions and people, some of which I've chosen to leave for either greater career promise or greater salary, because like you, I raised a family, paid for a house, and so forth, all via my own salary, and being the sole provider. I've learned that it's worth my sanity to have a better work environment and a short commute, with slightly lesser salary versus the other way around.

Learn new talents with Linux and then get another job involving Linux and get away from that situation.

I've seen "this", which is the dreaded "performance improvement plan". Large company, boss calls someone in, and tells them that their performance has been a problem and that they are being put on an improvement plan where they'll be monitored. Blah-blah-blah --- "this is not an attempt to make things worse, but instead make them better" --- blah-blah-blah. Employee tells their peers, and everyone is shocked, thinking how different versus not, they are. Six months later the employee disappears from the workplace. That's how large companies fire people. Perhaps this is similar to what you've already seen.

Well said to all, rtmistler. Like you, I'm older, and have dealt with all of the above too. The first time I had an epiphany was when I was younger, and getting crap from a boss about how I should be doing things better, and know things that I wasn't yet taught. When I finally said, "If you know a way I can do this faster and better, why don't you SHOW ME instead of telling me how bad I'm doing??"...and stood up, and gave him the keyboard.

Amazingly, he couldn't....and it dawned on me that *I* wasn't the problem...that clown was. I called his bluff, and kept doing it, because I knew he couldn't fire me for asking for help doing things better, and I knew he wouldn't bring it up with HR, because there would be questions about HIS performance as a manager, and I had a truckload of people who suffered under him too, to back me up. Like you, I found another job with a bigger salary, and left.

I had a boss with the Solaris root password.
I told him he was just like every other user, until he proved otherwise.

The dude abides...