You could mount the filesystems read-only using ntfs-3g (or there
might even be something in kernel, or ntfs-3g might be in kernel -- I
don't keep track anymore) and then rsync. Assuming, of course, Win 7
is still using NTFS. Like Chris is saying, the disk imaging is going
to be your biggest time sucker, not booting. DSL sounds good to me for
a minimal install, however.

On Fri, May 29, 2009 at 1:14 AM, chris (fool) mccraw <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Fri, May 29, 2009 at 00:23, Keith Lofstrom <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> I'm that jerk who questions your methods instead of answering your question.
>
>>  D.S.Linux runs dd to clone the main hard
>> drive to an identical hard drive in an external SATA cradle, then
>> shuts down.
>
> dd is hardly the fastest way to copy data.  i see what you're going
> for, though--obviously rsync or similar "don't copy already-same
> areas" tool won't necessarily create a bootable copy of windows.  i
> didn't find any tools like dd+xdelta out there but there must be a
> more efficient tool...does something like ghost (non free, but if
> you're dealing with windows anyway...) do that?  i can't imagine that
> 95% of the disk changes each usage, so it seems like an area of this
> process rich for optimization.  i wonder if you have already optimized
> partition size down to the bare minimum and just dd that partition?
> seems like optimizing boot time when it must be such a tiny part of
> the time taken to make the copy is ignoring amdahl's argument that one
> should optimize the slowest thing first rather than the easiest...
>
> sorry i don't have an actual answer for you :(
>
> luck++;
> _______________________________________________
> PLUG mailing list
> [email protected]
> http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
>



-- 
Chris Daniel
_______________________________________________
PLUG mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug

Reply via email to