[NMLUG] Linux GHOST?

[Steve Browne]

I recently wanted to move my Linux system to a larger hard drive, with
larger partitions, without a re-install. For backup I buy my HDDs in
matched pairs so I can clone Disk A to Disk B using <dd> with no
problem. But <dd> can't increase the partition size.

For backing up my MS system I use Symantec Ghost 7.5 Corporate Edition
on a single floppy and running on a floppy MS-DOS boot. Ghost allows
me to change partition size (as long as it is to the larger). Ghost
can also recognize and handle Linux Native FileSystem (ext2). So I
cloned my 20Gb Linux HDD to a new 80Gb HDD, adjusting the partition
table to my liking within Ghost.

This works fine except for preserving the bootloader. Have a rescue
boot floppy handy for first-time booting of the new drive, and then
invoke <lilo> from the command line. Presto, everything is fixed.

But Ghost will not reliably handle ext3 and the more exotic
filesystems (my experiments have been inconclusive). Microsoft is
trying to forget MS-DOS ever existed, and Symantec is trying to forget
it's MS-DOS-based Ghost ever existed - they'd rather sell their GUI
bloatware. At some point in the evolution of Linux my Ghost solution
will no longer work.

Which makes me ask, why the [expletive deleted] doesn't somebody write
a Linux version of Ghost? Really. There are twenty different MP3
player apps, but nothing to clone an HDD.

Please don't refer me to programs that compress a partition or drive,
which can then be uncompressed elsewhere. Or programs that copy to
tape. I'm talking about a direct, live cloner with partition
adjustment capability. Like Ghost.

Gosh, Ghost (the original version) was written by New Zealanders.
You'd think SOMEBODY in the world could transpose it to Linux.

End rant. Thank you for your attention.

Steve
Stephen B. Browne
sbrowne at ix.netcom.com
"Ubi bene, ibi patria."