Phil Meyer wrote:
Dan Thurman wrote:
Is there a [Fedora/Linux] clone/partition tool that will clone a hard
drive with features that allows one to specify any partition size to
the target new drive? For example, the original drive may have a
partition with a size of say, 10GB and instead of a direct clone, I'd
like to specify a larger target partition size of say, an increase of
25GB?
As a feature, I'd also like the capability if need be, to be able to
change the source drive's partition sizes and to be able to move
partitions around so as close partition gaps? System Commander was
such a tool for windoes but is there one for Fedora/Linux?
Any suggestions?
Copying the contents of one drive to another is as simple as:
cp -a <source> <target>
Or there is the most correct way:
cd <source>
find . -depth -print | cpio -pdmu <target>
If both file systems are LVM or hardware raid, then that solves the
other part of your question.
But lets look at a specific example since you did not provide one:
Lets assume that /var keeps filling up and its currently on / which is a
fixed partition.
You have hardware based raid from a SAN or new shoebox.
Use whatever tools are appropriate to create <new volume>.
Mount the new raid device on /mnt
mount <new volume> /mnt
Quiesce applications
cd /var
find . -depth -print | cpio -pdmu /mnt
You want NULs in there, use -print0 and something extra on cpio
umount /mnt ; mv /var /foo ; mkdir /var ; mount <new volume> /var
revise /etc/fstab to correct the new /var
restart apps or reboot
rm -fr /foo
You need to MOVE /var because there will surely be something running
with a file open in /var
Shouldn't be doing it on the running system.
You need to be quick making the changeover to the new /var, thus the
commands all on the same command line.
Don't remove the old /var until you are positive that all apps that use
/var have been restarted. Sometimes a reboot will be necessary. If
unsure, reboot.
Tried and tested many times. :)
Not very well, if that's really what you do. Files and directories with
spaces in their names cause problems.
I personally have used tar many times, but I've heard there are problems
with extended attributes....
EAs are a recent innovation to Linux (though OS/2 had them for donkey's
years).
As I posted to another thread yesterday, copying with tar, cpio, pax, cp
and the like resets ctime, and this is bad.
I prefer judicious use of dd where the target is larger, followed by
whatever filesystem/LVM resize magic is required.
OP could also look at systemimager, it is designed to clone systems with
customisation. I've not used it myself, but I've heard good of it.
--
Cheers
John
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