When making significant changes to an existing system (e.g. kernel builds or major software changes), what backup* strategies do you adopt to protect yourself from knackering the whole thing? I know this will depend a lot on what hardware is available but is there a commonly accepted approach?
At the moment I've got enough space on another HD to completely duplicate the whole partition (apart from a small /boot partition the whole of my system is in a single partition). I've been using PartitionMagic to do this but, as it's a Windows app, I'd like to use a GNU/Linux approach. Any ideas?
* 1st time round I typed this as 'buckup', it occurred to me that all I needed to do was change the first consonant and it would be a better reflection of the entire process. Reminds me of way back when I was submitting batch COBOL compile jobs, the job output listings used to come back headed "System Complication Output". :o)
Regards, Keith ____________ 'I can see nobody on the road.' said Alice. 'I only wish I had such eyes,' said the King 'to be able to see Nobody! And at that distance too!' Lewis Carroll
At 06:07 AM 7/12/2002, Keith Watson wrote:
When making significant changes to an existing system (e.g. kernel builds or major software changes), what backup* strategies do you adopt to protect yourself from knackering the whole thing? I know this will depend a lot on what hardware is available but is there a commonly accepted approach?
At the moment I've got enough space on another HD to completely duplicate the whole partition (apart from a small /boot partition the whole of my system is in a single partition). I've been using PartitionMagic to do this but, as it's a Windows app, I'd like to use a GNU/Linux approach. Any ideas?
- 1st time round I typed this as 'buckup', it occurred to me that all I
needed to do was change the first consonant and it would be a better reflection of the entire process. Reminds me of way back when I was submitting batch COBOL compile jobs, the job output listings used to come back headed "System Complication Output". :o)
Regards, Keith
It sounds as though you want to make a one-time partition snapshot.
I've used Symantec Ghost for this purpose. Of course it's a DOS utility, but for the M$-hater in you, it is Caldera DOS. If you've got two drives, then you can run the backup very easily from a bootable floppy.
BTW, I didn't know that Partition Magic would allow you to duplicate a partition. Doesn't it just allow you to copy the partition? Which wouldn't be the same thing as an image.
-- George
I always configure my disks with two root partitions for just this reason. The built kernels live in a /boot partition by themselves in the first few cylinders of the disk. /usr/src is also common.
On 12-Jul-2002 Keith Watson wrote:
When making significant changes to an existing system (e.g. kernel builds or major software changes), what backup* strategies do you adopt to protect yourself from knackering the whole thing? I know this will depend a lot on what hardware is available but is there a commonly accepted approach? [snip]
From: main-admin@lists.alug.org.uk On Behalf Of Raphael Mankin Sent: 15 July 2002 18:38 To: Keith Watson
I always configure my disks with two root partitions for just this reason. The built kernels live in a /boot partition by themselves in the first few cylinders of the disk. /usr/src is also common.
I like that idea. I already use a separate /boot partition because of the size of the disk I use. I think I could just about squeeze in 3 root partitions, two for development, flip flopping between them (I should explain that I'm one of those LinuxFromScratch nutters) and one for whatever distro is flavour of the month with me.
Which is all very well but what happens if (when?) the disk crashes?
Regards, Keith ____________ Enlightenment is not imagining figures of light but making the darkness conscious. Carl Gustav Jung
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On 15-Jul-2002 Keith Watson wrote:
From: main-admin@lists.alug.org.uk On Behalf Of Raphael Mankin Sent: 15 July 2002 18:38 To: Keith Watson
I always configure my disks with two root partitions for just this reason. The built kernels live in a /boot partition by themselves in the first few cylinders of the disk. /usr/src is also common.
I like that idea. I already use a separate /boot partition because of the size of the disk I use. I think I could just about squeeze in 3 root partitions, two for development, flip flopping between them (I should explain that I'm one of those LinuxFromScratch nutters) and one for whatever distro is flavour of the month with me.
Which is all very well but what happens if (when?) the disk crashes?
New disk. Restore from tape backup - taken nightly.
I've been in this business for nearly 40 years now. You can understand why I'm paranoid.
Regards, Keith ____________ Enlightenment is not imagining figures of light but making the darkness conscious. Carl Gustav Jung
This message has been scanned for computer viruses and none have been detected. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.375 / Virus Database: 210 - Release Date: 10/07/2002
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