Linux Ghost Imaging?

[m@!]

I'm not quite sure which forum to post this in but I'm wondering if anyone can provide a ghosting solution for my linux boxes? A few people have recommended DD but I'd like to only copy the used area. I'm not sure if what I'm asking for is possible bc I'm fairly n00b but any help would be appreciated. I'd just like to install and play with various released without having to install from scratch each time. My computer is at a good comfortable point and I'd like to be able to return to this state if/when I break it.

Thanks,

[tuxthejedi]

you can use dd for creating images of your partitions but why don't you use virtual machines if you'd like to test stuff ? It's easier to backup and it won't take a long time to do it

Debian

[beaker_]

Then grab Clonezilla.

[scottro]

There's also good old fashioned tar.

From old notes of mine.

Create 2 directories somewhere, i'll say /mnt/src and /mnt/dest.
Mount the source drive on /mnt/src. Look in etc/fstab on the drive
and make sure you mount all partitions in the appropriate places.
Partition and format the destination drive the way you want it, and
mount it as /mnt/dest. Run mkswap on a swap partition (if any). If you
are using multiple data partitions, create the mount points and mount
those partitions.
Run this to copy the files. There are many other commands that will
do this; this is just the one i use since tar seems to handle device
and other weird files acceptably:
(cd /mnt/src ; tar -cf - .) | (cd /mnt/dest ; tar -xvpf -)

[m@!]

Originally Posted by tuxthejedi

you can use dd for creating images of your partitions but why don't you use virtual machines if you'd like to test stuff ? It's easier to backup and it won't take a long time to do it

thanks for all the suggestions guys. basically, i'm running a 32bit F11 machine and i'm noticing an incredible difference in VM speed from my 64bit F10 machine. so i wanted to install F11 64bit and see how well the VM runs. if it runs better then i'll stick with it because i do have to use windows for a few things. mainly microsoft office.

[Graham1]

Hi

For cloning, you could try Clonezilla (as mentioned), G4L (Ghost 4 Linux) or PING (Partimage Is Not Ghost).

My personal favourite is G4L. The reason being is that it is fast in both backing up / restoring partitions and creates just one image file whereas the others create a folder inc. many files. From my tests, Clonezilla is by far the quickest at backing up partitions and also inc's. partclone for your ext4 partitions.

Of the 3 mentioned, they all use partimage (for linux partitions). G4L and Clonezilla also use NTFSClone (for windows systems) but with the new ext4 fs, only Clonezilla (AFAIK) supports this system at the moment.

Hope this helps.

[tquang]

I was used g4l and clonezilla, but not good

Ex between Windows & Linux

Ghost Windows: ghost all file, data => small size after ghost
Ghost Linux: ghost partition to partition => large size (so, need 1 partition = parttion linux)

[m@!]

It seems like, from what I've read, that Windows and NTFS has the one-up on Linux with the truncated image sizes. I'm guessing it has something to do with the way it stores data and writes information. I'm sure there are some experts here that can clarify but I'm sure it isn't because there aren't any developers around clever enough to figure it out. I'm going to try G4L.