Posted this to OP but omitted to post to the list. Here's my 2p worth
Chris
Matt Smith wrote:
Hi,
Is there an EASY method to transfer the partitions from an old hard disk
to a new one?
Matt Smith
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I regularly do this cloning desktops. I am usually using the same size /
/var /tmp and swap and whatever is remaining as /usr
Install new disk as primary master.
Boot from CD and install minimal system (you can even abort once it has
created the file system, the only purpose of this step is to create the
slices and newfs. I think this is quicker than doing it with sysinstall
or fdisk/bsdlabel. When it's me doing it it is certainly more error free.)
Next install your source disk as primary master and new disk as anything
else. (ad1 in example below)
Boot to single user.
Now do:
mount -u /
mount /dev/ad1s1a /mnt
cd /mnt
rm -rf /mnt/* /mnt/.*
dump 0afL - / | restore xf -
cd
umount /mnt
fsck -y /dev/ad1s1a
Do the same sequence of steps for /tmp, mounting /tmp read/write and
using L switch in dump. You don't need to do the mount -u / again.
[Can anybody tell me if it is really necessary to clone /tmp? Not that
it takes much time.]
Do the same sequence of steps for /var and /usr but mounting them ro and
not using the L switch in dump
My /usr takes some time like 1 - 2 hours, the rest you can do as you sit at
the machine. Sometimes the rm fails to remove a directory called empty -
you have to chflags it.
I've done this quite a few times and had no problems. I've tried various
variations and this one is the only one that didn't come to some sort of
sticky end for me. Cleverer people would probably have found a way through.
I did try putting my commands in a script but the result was b0rked
somehow and I never found time to investigate why.
Chris
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