Linux Clone

OOsorio · 08-03-2010, 03:48 PM

I have cloned linux using dd and several cloning software. They all fail when booting. The clone process is from computer to usb external hard drive and then to another computer. The original HD is IDE and the final HD is SATA. Does anybody know of a documented procedure to get this job done?

saikee · 08-03-2010, 03:56 PM

It is the way to do with cloning.

Modern Linux since 2.6.28 kernel treats IDE disks same as Sata disks by using libATA but if you have a kernel trying to be backward compatible then IDE may still be called hda to hdd inside the Linux. In such a case you need to update its boot loader and fstab.

Don't know about your other cloning software but you can't get anything other than a 100% mirror image by dd by cloning the whole disk.

dd never fails me, on any OS and any number of them.

onebuck · 08-03-2010, 04:04 PM

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by OOsorio

I have cloned linux using dd and several cloning software. They all fail when booting. The clone process is from computer to usb external hard drive and then to another computer. The original HD is IDE and the final HD is SATA. Does anybody know of a documented procedure to get this job done?

If the systems are identical a clone may work and even then you may still need to setup the bootloader. Along with any local configuration files for the cloned image to function on the new system. I agree that 'dd' would be your best bet for some success. But you will still need to boot the new system via alternate means to setup things static to allow you to boot the cloned image. A install CD/DVD could be used to boot then do the edits (chroot when necessary).

Why clone?