Date: Sat, 27 Apr 2002 10:47:26 +0800 From: Raymond <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [LIB] (Re)Installation...
>The fist is I think it would be prudent to attempt to backup my >Linux install on to tape or some other media, and re-install onto >the new partitions from backup. Whilst I havn't invested much time >in the system yet, and could restore from original CDs more easily, >I think it a good idea to verify that a backup strategy works, incuding >re-install on a 'wiped' disk, before it is really needed. IIRC you can use the DD command under Linux to do a disk image. Do a google on the web as I don't really know how. Otherwise, use Norton Ghost or Powerquest DriveImage which can do these things to local hard drives (put the libby hard drive into your desktop), over a network, through parallel cable or to a tape drive. >For the first time I tried makeing all of my Linux filesystems except >the root a Reiser filesystem, as it is supposed to be in some ways >better (any comments?) but it does seem to have one problem - dump(1) >does not work on it. I guess Linux expects 'tar' to be used for dumps. I don't really bother with that sorta thing ... I rarely boot anyway (I suspend most often) so I don't get that problem. If I need to reboot I just let it go, do something else for a minute or 2 then come back. >I guess the re-install from backups is going to involve creating a >'linux boot' directory on the windows partition again to bootstrap me >into a postition where I can create the partitions and restore them >from the backups. Anyone had a go at this before and care to offer >some tips? Not if you've used a disk imaging program. >The second problem is copying the Windows partition from my old (4GB) >drive. There is a bit of a history to this which I outlined some time >ago, but briefly: > >a/ When I furst got my new Libretto, the first thing I wanted to do >was re-partition the hard disk and put a useful OS on it. In adddition, >I don't really like pre-installed OSs, because it makes me uneasy knowing >that I havn't proved that I can re-install from scratch if the need arises. I'd have to disagree with you on that. Toshiba's factory installs are actually pretty decent (unlike Acer factory installs which are full of cr@p in my opinion). Where I used to work, we used to do the installs ourselves but we ended up modifying Toshiba factory installs because it was a lot easier and was as good if not better than what we could do with the time we had. >So I had quick play to familiarise my system, not caring too much about >what I did because I was going to re-install anyway, then used the >Microsoft backup software to make a backup of my disk, as well as >doing a file-by-file copy over Samba, repartitioned the disk with >fdisk, and then proceeded to re-install from the supplied floppies... AARGHH!!! NOT MS BACKUP!!! >Needless to say, it didn't work. The instructions in the 100CT manual >referred to disks I didn't have, and didn't refer to some of the >disks I did have. After installing the base Windows95 system from >the floppies (a tedious process) I never sucessed in finding a way >to install the remaining Toshiba drivers etc that would reproduce the >original install. I always ended up without CAB files or the PCMCIA >wouldn't work right, etc... Just put the hard drive into another machine and do a straight file copy. When you need to restore, just copy the files back then restore your boot loader (either run Lilo to rewrite the Lilo boot loader, run fdisk /mbr, reload GRUB or reload NTLDR depending on what you use to load your OS). >To I tried re-installing from my Microsoft Backup, and surprise surprise, >it didn't work. It went all the way through to the end, then came >up with an error message saying that something went wrong and please >try again... :-/ I have since been told by people familiar with Windows >that you don't use Microsoft's bundled backup software. Heh ... some of us learn the hard way ;-) >In the end, I managed to get the original software running by >installing from the backup as far as it would go, then copying the >missing files from my file-by-file backup. The most important of the >omissions being the registry. Ya never do things like that ... either restore all or nothing. Don't restore the registry without the files or the files without the registry (the all-file backup I referred to above also copies the registry files ... which is why you need to put the hard drive into another computer booted into its OWN installation ... because you can't back up the registry in that way when you're still sitting on it!). >Since then I have re-installed windows on a new disk by creating an >empty partition and then using Unix and 'dd' to write the raw image, >which works fine when I keep the partition size identical, but now >I wish to increase the windows partition size from 800M to 1.5Gb, You can use DD then resize the partition using Partition Magic (or just use Ghost or DriveImage which can resize on the fly). Alternatively just do a straight file copy on your desktop, recreate the partition, copy it all back again then restore your MBR. - Raymond P.S. I'm running a bit behind on the list, apologies if I'm answering questions that have already been answered! --- /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\ | | "Does fuzzy logic tickle?" | | ___ | "My HDD has no reverse. How do I backup?" | | /__/ +-------------------------------------------| | / \ a y b o t | [EMAIL PROTECTED] | | | HTTP://www.raybot.net | | ICQ: 31756092 | Need help? Visit #Windows98 on DALNet! | \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/ ************************************************************** http://libretto.basiclink.com - Libretto mailing list http://www.silverace.com/libretto/ - Archives -------TO UNSUBSCRIBE------- Reply to any of the list messages. 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