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Is there a tool to do this? I'd like to copy my Linux partition to a
newer hard drive.
I'm using Redhat 9.

Graham wrote:
>
> Is there a tool to do this? I'd like to copy my Linux partition to a
> newer hard drive.
> I'm using Redhat 9.

Minor correction: I meant, *extended partition*, which holds the two
Linux partitions. Presumably copying the Linux partitions, within
Linux, should mean copying the two Linux partitions to a new Ext.
partition.

Graham wrote:

> Graham wrote:
>>
>> Is there a tool to do this? I'd like to copy my Linux partition to a
>> newer hard drive.
>> I'm using Redhat 9.
>
> Minor correction: I meant, *extended partition*, which holds the two
> Linux partitions. Presumably copying the Linux partitions, within
> Linux, should mean copying the two Linux partitions to a new Ext.
> partition.

If the two partitions are exactly the same size (or the destination
partition is slightly larger) then:

dd if=/dev/hdaX of=/dev/hdbY

but be very very careful.

Much better is to create your partitions on destination drive - they can
be any sort of partition - and use tar or cp.

For example:

fdisk /dev/hdb
... create partitions ...
mke2fs /dev/hdbY
mount /dev/hdbY /mnt/dest
cp -ax /mounted_filesystem /mnt/dest/

You still have to be careful.
And you might have to mount your partition to copy, or perhaps
remount a live one as read-only.

If you are copying your root partition then it is best to boot up
on a bootable cdrom and do it.

In article <>,
Barry <> wrote:

> cp -ax /mounted_filesystem /mnt/dest/

This will work, but I prefer rsync:

rsync --archive --delete --one-file-system
/mounted_filesystem /mnt/dest/

One reason is that, should the transfer be interrupted for any reason,
rsync makes it much easier to resume from where you left off--just
reexecute the same command, and it'll figure it out. That's why I put in
the "--delete", so it'll keep track of any changes to the source
filesystem in the meantime.

Also put in "--verbose", and it'll list the name of every file as it
transfers it.

Barry wrote:
> Graham wrote:
>
>
>>Graham wrote:
>>
>>>Is there a tool to do this? I'd like to copy my Linux partition to a
>>>newer hard drive.
>>>I'm using Redhat 9.
>>
>>Minor correction: I meant, *extended partition*, which holds the two
>>Linux partitions. Presumably copying the Linux partitions, within
>>Linux, should mean copying the two Linux partitions to a new Ext.
>>partition.
I'd look at least to going to journalled ext3. Possible take this
opportunity to change to reiserfs or xfs for improved data security.
>
>
> If the two partitions are exactly the same size (or the destination
> partition is slightly larger) then:
>
> dd if=/dev/hdaX of=/dev/hdbY
>
> but be very very careful.
>
> Much better is to create your partitions on destination drive - they can
> be any sort of partition - and use tar or cp.
>
> For example:
>
> fdisk /dev/hdb
> ... create partitions ...
> mke2fs /dev/hdbY
at least mke2fs -j, or maybe even use reiser or xfs instead.
> mount /dev/hdbY /mnt/dest
> cp -ax /mounted_filesystem /mnt/dest/

cd /mounted_filesystem
find . -depth -xdev | grep -v '/proc/' | cpio -dump /mnt/dest

There used to be problems with device files and cp. I'm never certain
whether they've been properly fixed. You also don't want to copy things
like /dev/kmem!
>
> You still have to be careful.
> And you might have to mount your partition to copy, or perhaps
> remount a live one as read-only.
>
> If you are copying your root partition then it is best to boot up
> on a bootable cdrom and do it.
>
Imperative!

Steve

Steve wrote:

> Barry wrote:
>> Graham wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Graham wrote:
>>>
>>>>Is there a tool to do this? I'd like to copy my Linux partition to a
>>>>newer hard drive.
>>>>I'm using Redhat 9.
>>>
>>>Minor correction: I meant, *extended partition*, which holds the two
>>>Linux partitions. Presumably copying the Linux partitions, within
>>>Linux, should mean copying the two Linux partitions to a new Ext.
>>>partition.
> I'd look at least to going to journalled ext3. Possible take this
> opportunity to change to reiserfs or xfs for improved data security.
>>
>>
>> If the two partitions are exactly the same size (or the destination
>> partition is slightly larger) then:
>>
>> dd if=/dev/hdaX of=/dev/hdbY
>>
>> but be very very careful.
>>
>> Much better is to create your partitions on destination drive - they can
>> be any sort of partition - and use tar or cp.
>>
>> For example:
>>
>> fdisk /dev/hdb
>> ... create partitions ...
>> mke2fs /dev/hdbY
> at least mke2fs -j, or maybe even use reiser or xfs instead.
>> mount /dev/hdbY /mnt/dest
>> cp -ax /mounted_filesystem /mnt/dest/
>
> cd /mounted_filesystem
> find . -depth -xdev | grep -v '/proc/' | cpio -dump /mnt/dest
>
> There used to be problems with device files and cp. I'm never certain
> whether they've been properly fixed. You also don't want to copy things
> like /dev/kmem!

No problems with cp -a.

Another way is:

cd /mnt/whatever && tar chlf - . | (cd /mnt/new && tar xf -)

But really, "cp -a" is nice and simple and has *never* given me a problem.

>>
>> You still have to be careful.
>> And you might have to mount your partition to copy, or perhaps
>> remount a live one as read-only.
>>
>> If you are copying your root partition then it is best to boot up
>> on a bootable cdrom and do it.
>>
> Imperative!

I have done it both ways and both work much the same.

On Fri, 17 Sep 2004 13:35:52 +1200, Lawrence D'Oliveiro
<_zealand> wrote:

>In article <>,
> Barry <> wrote:
>
>> cp -ax /mounted_filesystem /mnt/dest/
>
>This will work, but I prefer rsync:
>
> rsync --archive --delete --one-file-system
> /mounted_filesystem /mnt/dest/
>
>One reason is that, should the transfer be interrupted for any reason,
>rsync makes it much easier to resume from where you left off--just
>reexecute the same command, and it'll figure it out. That's why I put in
>the "--delete", so it'll keep track of any changes to the source
>filesystem in the meantime.
>
cp -axu will resume on interruption.

Cheers,

Cliff

In article <>,
Enkidu <> wrote:

>On Fri, 17 Sep 2004 13:35:52 +1200, Lawrence D'Oliveiro
><_zealand> wrote:
>
>>In article <>,
>> Barry <> wrote:
>>
>>> cp -ax /mounted_filesystem /mnt/dest/
>>
>>This will work, but I prefer rsync:
>>
>> rsync --archive --delete --one-file-system
>> /mounted_filesystem /mnt/dest/
>>
>>One reason is that, should the transfer be interrupted for any reason,
>>rsync makes it much easier to resume from where you left off--just
>>reexecute the same command, and it'll figure it out. That's why I put in
>>the "--delete", so it'll keep track of any changes to the source
>>filesystem in the meantime.
>>
>cp -axu will resume on interruption.

That only looks at modification times, and I don't think it'll work
properly with partially-copied files. rsync looks at contents, so it
will correctly finish partial files.

Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:

> In article <>,
> Enkidu <> wrote:
>
>>On Fri, 17 Sep 2004 13:35:52 +1200, Lawrence D'Oliveiro
>><_zealand> wrote:
>>
>>>In article <>,
>>> Barry <> wrote:
>>>
>>>> cp -ax /mounted_filesystem /mnt/dest/
>>>
>>>This will work, but I prefer rsync:
>>>
>>> rsync --archive --delete --one-file-system
>>> /mounted_filesystem /mnt/dest/
>>>
>>>One reason is that, should the transfer be interrupted for any reason,
>>>rsync makes it much easier to resume from where you left off--just
>>>reexecute the same command, and it'll figure it out. That's why I put in
>>>the "--delete", so it'll keep track of any changes to the source
>>>filesystem in the meantime.
>>>
>>cp -axu will resume on interruption.
>
> That only looks at modification times, and I don't think it'll work
> properly with partially-copied files. rsync looks at contents, so it
> will correctly finish partial files.

Well then you can just add -v to your cp and if you get interrupted
then you only need delete the last file copied started!

But getting interrupted in the middle of a cp is very very rare that
it hardly seems worth doing something like:

rsync --archive --delete --one-file-system --what-a-lot-of-options

as opposed to:

cp -avx

Graham wrote:

> Is there a tool to do this? I'd like to copy my Linux partition to a
> newer hard drive.
> I'm using Redhat 9.

I booted from CD, then copied all the files to another hard drive...Makesure
you get all the ".<name>" hidden directories

Then I installed a very basic system on the target drive....

Then booted from the CD and copied the earlier copy from the backup drive
over top of the basic system.

Then re-boot.

Linux isn't like WinXP. There is no registry or other stuff to make things
hard. Most config stuff is in straight text files.

It's much easier to move Linux around.....at least in my experience.