Howto: Backup with Partimage

[wieman01]

0. Prerequisites:

• Reference: http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=226402
• Download "Rescue CD": http://www.sysresccd.org/Download

REMARK: The credit goes to user "Frank Golden" whose thread I have taken as a reference in the first place.

1. Boot from RESCUE CD & type:

• Create mount-point:
  

  mkdir /backup

• Checking partition tables:
  

  fdisk -l

• Mount backup partition; xxxx stands for your partition that serves as a backup device (e.g. hda1, sda1):
  

  mount /dev/xxxx /backup

• Start Partimage:
  

  partimage

2.1. Backing up (screenshot 1):

• Choose partition you want to backup.
• Type "Image file to create/use":
  

  /backup/your_backup_file

• Choose "Action to be done" = "Save partition into a new image file".
• Press F5.

2.2. Backing up (screenshot 2):

• Choose "Compression level" = "None".
• Choose "Image split mode" = "Into files whose size is:...".
• Select size bigger than your partition in MB (left).
• Hit F5.

2.3. Backing up (screenshot 3):

• Enter any description (or leave it blank).
• Press <enter> to continue.

2.4. Finalizing backup:

• Hit <enter> when prompted to confirm backup size, disk space, etc.
• That's it!

IMPORTANT NOTE: When I used "Compression level" Gzip to compress my backup file I was unable to restore it later on. I cannot remember the exact error message, but I have avoided it ever since. When backing up your data, I recommend to use option A which is "None" (no compression). It's also the faster option.

3.1. Restoring (screenshot 4):

• Select partition to restore.
• Type "Image file to create/use" (note the extension .000):
  

  /backup/your_backup_file.000

• Choose "Action to be done" = "Restore partition from an image file".
• Press F5.

3.2. Restoring (screenshot 5):

• Select "Options" = "Simulation of the restoration..." in order to test your backup file. I highly recommend this extra step. Leave it blank to go ahead without simulation.
• Hit F5.

3.3. Finalizing restoring:

• Confirm all remaining operations with <enter> when prompted.

Partimage has been fairly reliable so far (well, except for the mentioned issue with GZip compression) but I appreciate if anybody else can contribute ideas & comments. Should I have left out important (or less important) step, please drop me a line.

[tedrogers]

Is it possible to save the image over a network, either to a Windows machine or separate Ubuntu install using Samba?

I have both on my other system, XP and Ubuntu (though not dual boot as I don't want the mess that GRUB/LILO can make of things - so I've got them on separate drives and use my BIOS to select the boot drive for each OS - nice and clean!)

I've noticed from some screenshots there is a network option - is it really that simple?

I'm downloading the Rescue CD now using wget, and will try it out....just wondered if what I want to try is possible.

Thanks wieman [you're everywhere fella! ]

[aysiu]

I created a very similiar tutorial to this, too, detailing how to use it from a Ubuntu Desktop CD (the SystemRescue CD is ideal, of course, though--that way you don't have to install PartImage first):
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/partimage

[tedrogers]

I've seen your Psychocats tutorial...it's very good...but I wonder if when I type:

sudo fdisk -l

...why is it that it doesn't show my network drives as well? Should it?

Maybe Samba isn't setup right.

[aysiu]

I've seen your Psychocats tutorial...it's very good...but I wonder if when I type:

sudo fdisk -l

...why is it that it doesn't show my network drives as well? Should it?

Maybe Samba isn't setup right.

Honestly, I don't know much about networking or networked drives. I'm hoping someone else will jump in and answer that question.

[tedrogers]

I've spent my evening so far trying to get the networking working normally....mind you...I am trying this over wireless which could be difficult.

Plus, I have noticed, that both my Ubuntu installs have exactly the same 'computer names' which can't be a good thing....clash clash clash!

So, when I get the chance I will try getting the networking running using a wired LAN config first....then we'll see.

Anyway...good news is that the linux-rescue CD iso works! That is, I suppose, a step in the right direction.

So, any ideas how I might change the computer name 'after' the install process?

Cheers.

[wieman01]

Not sure what you are referring to as computer names, but this is slightly off-topic so let's talk about that in another thread.

To answer your question: Yes, in principle this would also work over a network. But you would have to install NFS or Samba and mount the share drives not dissimilar to what is mentioned in the howto. The process would look like this:

1. Boot Live CD / Rescue CD.
2. Startup (wireless) networking.
3. Install Samba/NFS server on remote machine.
4. Install Samba/NFS client on local machine (that you are trying to backup).
5. Create mount point & mount shared driver on remote machine.

I am sure you can do that with either the Ubuntu Live CD or the Rescue CD, however, it seems a lot of steps for a simple backup. I usually prefer to store the backup files on the local harddrives first, then copy them to my backup server after restarting & booting my normal Ubuntu install.

Hope this helps. For networking, NFS & Samba I suggest that you open a new thread or read some of the corresponding howtos.

[tedrogers]

One other thing I'm not sure of, because I'm still trying to understand (and remember!) Linux partitioning...is if I only backup /hda1 (SYSTEM) [and it looks like partimage will only let me backup one partition at a time] what happens to /hda2 (SWAP) and /hda5 (EXT3). Do I have to back these up seperately?

Or are these stored in say the MBR or something so that when I restore /hda1, the /hda2 and /hda5 partitions are restored but without any data in them.

[wieman01]

One other thing I'm not sure of, because I'm still trying to understand (and remember!) Linux partitioning...is if I only backup /dha1 (SYSTEM) [and it looks like partimage will only let me backup one partition at a time] what happens to /hda2 (SWAP) and /hda5 (EXT3). Do I have to back these up seperately?

Or are these stored in say the MBR or something so that when I restore /hda1, the /hda2 and /hda5 partitions are restored but without any data in them.

You need to backup & restore each partition separately. So you need to go through the procedure for each data partition that you have with one exception: SWAP. There is no point in making a backup of SWAP of course.

[tedrogers]

So when I restored again...I would need to create a swap partition of the same/similar size I am using currently?

I just tried to make a backup of my partition now using the above guide and I hit a snag...I think the problem is that I was trying to backup to same partition that is mounted (i.e. /hda1)....so is this not possible and do I need to create a new partition to store my backup onto? Something other than /hda1?

Thanks again.