partimage

[linux_learner]

i have never used partimage before. i have read the howtos and faq's. i still dont get it. if anyone could help me i'd appreciate it. i need to create a (or series of) bootable iso's.

 

i need all of hda made into an image. hda has a fat32, swap, rieserfs (only 3 partitions). this way i can "ghost" my system back.

[Cannonfodder]

The concept is that you create a bootable CD from an ISO downloaded from their website. Bunch of links at bottom of page. E.g. Torino ..

 

Then you can boot off of the CD and the CD is in charge. None of the hard drives are busy or being used. Because of this, you can use partimage to make a snapshot of the partition on the hard drive.

 

To do this, you have to boot off the CD. Then you need to mount a partition that will serve as the destiation for the partimage file that is saved. Finally you can run partimage and select the partition you want to backup. Save it to the partition you mounted and away it goes.

 

When done the entire partition is compressed and saved as one file. You can then reverse the process and restore it.

 

One nice use of this is to install Mandrake linux, partimage your partitions and then if you screw it up seriously, you can restore it. Note that having smaller partitions makes it much easier to backup vs having all one big partition.

[pmpatrick]

It's a little dated, but check out this link:

 

http://www.desktop-linux.net/backups.htm

 

You need to download the SysResc-CD iso. It has partimage and a lot of other useful stuff on it. With partimage, you can't image a mounted partition so you need a bootable cd. Partimage is also on knoppix and can be run from there.

[iphitus]

I used partimage to make backups of a computer and it is pretty straightforward.

 

1) Run partimage to make the images, its easy

2) Set the size to the size of the CD-R/removable mediumyou are using

3) burn the images to the CDs, partimage doesnt do this for you

4) boot knoppix or another rescue CD, run partimage and the rest is straightforward.

[linux_learner]

i'm sorry yall, but i'm a bit confused. from the partimage howto

4.4 How to create an eltorito bootable CD-Rom ?

 

This section will help you to create a bootable CD-Rom, from the image file provided on partimage web site. Then, you just have to start your computer on this CD-Rom to able to run Partition Image, and to save/restore partitions. You won't need to have a linux system installed on your computer, or to use floppy disks to use partimage.

 

You will need to download the file partimage-x.y.z-bootcd-w.img first. (2.88 MB)

 

1) Create your main burning directory: for example "CDBurning".

 

2) Go in your main burning directory, and create a sub-directory named ".eltorito", and copy the 2.88 MB image file in this directory.

 

3) Copy all the other files in the main "CDBurning" directory. For example, your can copy all your image files. You can put 650 MB files here.

 

4) Now, create the ISO image with "mkisofs" Go in your main burning directory, with a console. Type the following command: mkisofs -o /tmp/cd-rescue.iso -R -V "Partition Image rescue" -v -J -T -d -D -b .eltorito/partimage-x.y.z-bootcd-w.img -c .eltorito/eltorito.boot -A "Partition Image" .

 

Don't forget the final point "." and update the file name with the name of the current version.

 

/tmp/cd-rescue.iso is the image file to create. You may need up to about 700 MB of free space to create this file. Then, if you don't have enough space on your root directory, please choose another temp path.

 

mkisofs will create a 650 MB image file (or smaller if you don't have a full CD), it can take time it's around 15 minutes usually.

 

5) It's time to burn your CD. You can use "cdrecord in console mode", or another GUI, as gCombust. See the man pages for cdrecord for more info if you need it.

 

6) Your bootable CD-Rom is now ready

 

You can also burn the bootable CD-Rom with Nero under Windows. That's very easy: You just have to choose the image file, and select that's a 2.88 MB floppy disk.

 

http://www.partimage.org/doc/index-4.html

 

notice it says

You will need to download the file partimage-x.y.z-bootcd-w.img first.

so i'm a bit confused.

 

i found an iso of partimage (lots of other cool iso's to) http://ftp.coe.psu.ac.th/ISO-images/00-index.html

 

notice that this is listed in the above url ftp://ftp.psu.ac.th/pub/partimage/partima....2-bootcd-1.iso

 

[pmpatrick]

Why go thru all that? I repeat:

 

You need to download the SysResc-CD iso.

 

It's on there; it's bootable. Done business.

 

Here's the link:

 

http://www.sysresccd.org/download.en.php