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I have installed Ubuntu 20.04, done some configurations and installed a number of applications (GIMP, Geany, KDENLIVE, etc). I want to create an installable USB (or DVD) with a current image of my system. Then if I need to reinstall (from scratch), I can install from the installable USB (or DVD) and be back to where I am now. How do I do it ?

Gary
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  • Not an answer to your question. But you should have good backups. If you use live installer to install, then restore from backup /home & data, perhaps some settings in /etc and have list of installed apps as part of backup, then you can easily restore. An image backup will be obsolete a few minutes after to use system. I also script half of my restore, also. https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2456011 & https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2436006 & http://askubuntu.com/questions/545655/backup-your-home-directory-with-rsync-and-skip-useless-folders – oldfred Sep 16 '21 at 18:28
  • Thanks for your reply, but .... – Gary Sep 16 '21 at 19:30
  • I have a NAS box for my backups (16Tb), so I've got that covered. It takes quite a while to install ubuntu and all of the (approx 30) applications, as well as configuring them all. So I want a means of 'taking a snapshot' which I can 'install' if necessary. – Gary Sep 16 '21 at 19:32
  • If it takes more than an hour to reinstall Ubuntu & restore backups, you are not doing it correctly. My install to SSD is about 10 min, but even HDD is just over 12. My /home is tiny as all data is in separate data partition, and /home has all my user settings. The two files in /etc I edit are now scripted, so I do not back them up. Longest time is downloading & reinstalling apps. – oldfred Sep 16 '21 at 20:37
  • It takes 15-20 minutes to install ubuntu. But then it takes several hours to install and configure everything else – Gary Sep 17 '21 at 10:49
  • You are obviously missing the point - it's not the ubuntu installation - it's the installation and configuration of 30+ packages that I want to avoid. – Gary Sep 17 '21 at 10:50
  • All your configurations should be in /home, so restoring it restores settings. Those that want image backups often suggest clonezilla. http://clonezilla.org/ I also see a lot suggestions of dd or similar, but that also copies all the empty space and requires the same or larger size drive. http://askubuntu.com/questions/545655/backup-your-home-directory-with-rsync-and-skip-useless-folders & http://askubuntu.com/questions/40992/what-files-and-directories-can-be-excluded-from-a-backup-of-the-home-directory/40997#40997 – oldfred Sep 17 '21 at 14:56
  • A much simpler method than using a ISO file is to use a IMG file when duplicating an OS. See: How to Duplicate a Ubuntu System for Distribution? https://askubuntu.com/questions/1300540/how-to-duplicate-a-ubuntu-system-for-distribution – C.S.Cameron Sep 18 '21 at 01:50
  • Thanks C.S. I'll give it a go :-) – Gary Sep 18 '21 at 12:25

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