On Monday 10 Nov 2003 6:24 am, Felix Miata wrote: > Anne Wilson wrote: > > On Monday 10 Nov 2003 5:23 am, Michael Noble wrote: > > > It has been a while since I last dd a disk drive (it is best to > > > make them the same type and size). Assuming that the old disk is > > > /dev/hda and the new disk is /dev/hdb the following command should > > > work: > > > > > > dd if=/dev/hda of=/dev/hdb > > > > I've heard people recommend this before, but I'm not sure why this is > > better than cp -a ? I do remember that the last time I tried to copy > > a whole directory to a new partition I had some problems before I got > > it right, so I want to be clear before I start. > > AFAIK, cp can only copy files from a mounted partition to a mounted > partition. dd can copy anything anywhere that there exist sectors to > read & write. The example above should copy the MBR and partition > tables, as well as all files on all partitions. > > > > Then make the new disk /dev/hda and the system should boot. As I > > > said it has been a while and may have the basic command a little > > > off. But the original (noisy) drive will still be in working > > > order. > > > > > > If you have it, I have also heard that the latest Norton Ghost will > > > also work. > > > > This is really a much better way, but I don't have the latest Norton > > Ghost. My Drive Image is not the latest, either. Is there not a > > linux tool that tackles it in a similar way, rather than just copying > > files? > > dd is probably all anyone on Linux needs, but doesn't have menus and a > pretty face. The M$ware may be able to do conversion if the source and > destination don't have matching CHS? I use DFSee myself, used to use > Partition Magic, never Ghost or Drive Image.
The big problem with dd is that when it's finished the destination drive will be identical to the source drive. If, like most people, you've bought a bigger disk, then that's hard luck. The partition table will show it as the same size as the old disk. I don't know where the actual full size of the disk is calculated so you might be able to add new partitions later, or you may not. I would always prefer to use tar (with the correct magic flags) to copy drives. (Ghost does handle different size disks, but does it handle your filesystem? And it does cost money, or did the last I heard.) -- Richard Urwin
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