HowTo: Backup & Restore your system my way ~[:^D

[MoonRise]

Re: HowTo: Backup & Restore your system my way ~[:^D

...speaking of cool,

dd command: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=362506
A very interesting tutorial on the dd command -- some surprising dd applications.

Thanks!

[Qqmike]

Re: HowTo: Backup & Restore your system my way ~[:^D

Have we high-jacked this how-to? I hope not. Actually, it's a neat topic -- making back-ups in one's own customized, creative way. That's where things like dd fits in. Speaking of which, since it's already mentioned above, I just finished this:

dd Command
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3090824.0

Focusing on hard drives and flash drives. I tried to clarify the options in the command line. Then tested some of the "standard" applications of dd to imaging.

Specifically, two neat and useful ones that are relevant to this thread on back-up:

Put Kubuntu root and your /home in separate partitions, where the former is smaller (like 5-15 GB), and /home includes enough room to store an image of the root partition plus room for your personal data. Then you can easily run dd to copy the root partition to /home and name it as a file (like rootK710sdb3.img). If you trash your root filesystem, you can easily restore it to the root partition by reversing the direction of the dd command. And all your data and programs and configuration settings in /home will be preserved and will work with the "new" restored root. I tested this three times, once from inside Kubuntu and twice from a Live CD (which is probably the better, safer, and more professional method).

The second dd application, which could be employed for back-up reasons, is using the dd command to clone a bootable USB flash drive (that you have built, perhaps with some Linux OS loaded on it). I tested that with Kubuntu 7.10 Live persistent flash drive, and it worked fast and perfectly.

Details in the link, along with other links, the "Learn the dd command" at linuxquestions remaining the best all-around reference on dd to date (and the author, AwesomeMachine states that he has tested all the dd recipes he gives you in his tutorial--and there are MANY that can be used for a personal back-up plan). Sometimes, the only thing you need to do is get your paths correct for the dd statement. It's easy, but you'll see what I mean when you try it. You just keep adjusting your paths until they work. (e.g., dd works with files, not directories, etc.)

This topic has motivated me to look into things like dd and Partimage (another very popular Linux choice). But for now, dd does what I need.