LinuxQuestions.org - Partition Magic / Mirroring / Image / Copying a Whole Drive?

Here's how I make a drive clone using partimage on system rescue cd or the knoppix cd.

1. Setup the operating systems and boot loader
2. Put a formatted partition on a second drive. Make the scripts executable with the command:
chmod +x save and chmod +x restore. Copy these scripts the the second drive. For example: /dev/hdb1
3. Boot up with system rescue cd and run the command:
mount /dev/hdb1 /mnt/images -t ext3
4. Run the save script with the command:./save /dev/hda
5. After you have saved the images, remove the master drive ( the one which has the operating system on it )
6. Install a new master drive /dev/hda Note: make sure it is detected properly in the bios.
7. Run the restore script with the command:./restore /dev/hda

here is the save script

Code:

#!/bin/bash

##### This saves the MBR / Partition Table

##### and all partitions using partimage

##### example:  ./save /dev/hda



##############################################

#  Ensure that root is running the script.

#

WHOAMI=`/usr/bin/whoami`

if [ $WHOAMI != "root" ]; then

        echo

        echo "You must be root to run this!"

        echo

      exit 1

fi

##############################################



usage()

{

        echo "Usage: $0 /dev/hd#"

        exit 1;

}



test "$1" || usage



if ! [ -e $1 ]; then

    echo "$1 does not exist. Exiting."

    exit 1

fi



if [ -e $1 ]; then

  #Save the MBR with partition table

  mbrfile=`echo -e $1 | awk -F"/" '{print $3}'`;

  dd if=$1 of=/mnt/images/mbr_$mbrfile bs=512 count=1

  clear

  

  for i in `/sbin/sfdisk -l $1 | \

  grep -e "^[/dev]" | awk '{print $1}'`;

  

do

  a=`/sbin/sfdisk -s $i 2> /dev/null`

  test=$(($a + 0))

  stuff=`echo -e $i | sed -e 's/.\{8\}//'`;

  check=`sfdisk -c $1 $stuff`

  

if [ $check != 5 -a $check != 82 -a $test != 0 ];then



  part=`echo -e $i | awk -F"/" '{print $3}'`;

  #Save the partitions

  #use this method for GUI progress

  partimage save -c -b -d -z0 -f3 $i /mnt/images/$part

  

  #use this method for command line progress

  #partimage save -B=foo -c -b -d -z0 -f3 $i /mnt/images/$part

  clear

fi  

done

echo



else

    exit 1

fi



clear

echo "The save operation is complete"

echo "The images have been saved in /mnt/images/"

echo

exit 0

Here is the restore script

Code:

#!/bin/bash

##### This retores the MBR / Partition Table

##### and all partitions using partimage

##### example:  ./restore /dev/hda



##############################################

#  Ensure that root is running the script.

#

WHOAMI=`/usr/bin/whoami`

if [ $WHOAMI != "root" ]; then

        echo

        echo "You must be root to run this!"

        echo

      exit 1

fi

##############################################

usage()

{

        echo "Usage: $0 /dev/hd#"

        exit 1;

}



test "$1" || usage



if ! [ -e $1 ]; then

    echo "$1 does not exist. Exiting."

    exit 1

fi



if [ -e $1 ]; then

clear

echo

echo "********************************************************************"

echo "    Caution!!!    This program will erase your hard drive"

echo

echo -n "                Do you want to proceed (Y/N)?"

read answer

if test "$answer" != "Y" -a "$answer" != "y";

then exit 0;

fi

#

clear

  mbrfile=`echo -e $1 | awk -F"/" '{print $3}'`;

  #Erase the old boot sector

  dd if=/dev/zero of=$1 bs=512 count=1

  

  #Restore the MBR with partition table

  dd if=/mnt/images/mbr_$mbrfile of=$1 bs=512 count=1

  clear

  

  for i in `/sbin/sfdisk -l $1 | \

  grep -e "^[/dev]" | awk '{print $1}'`;

  

do

  a=`/sbin/sfdisk -s $i 2> /dev/null`

  test=$(($a + 0))

  stuff=`echo -e $i | sed -e 's/.\{8\}//'`;

  check=`sfdisk -c $1 $stuff`

  

if [ $check = 82 ];then

  #setup the swap partition 

  /sbin/mkswap $i

  

elif [ $check != 5 -a $check != 82 -a $test != 0 ];then



  part=`echo -e $i | awk -F"/" '{print $3}'`;

  #Restore the partitions

  #use this method for GUI progress

  partimage restore -b -f3 $i /mnt/images/$part.000

  

  #use this method for command line progress

  #partimage restore -B=foo -b -f3 $i /mnt/images/$part.000

  clear

fi

done

echo

else

    exit 1

fi



clear

echo "The restore operation is complete"

echo "The partitions have been restored from /mnt/images/"

echo

exit 0