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OK I am new to ubuntu and thought this would be simple. My first plan - create an iso of existing system on laptop and use unetbootin to install on external usb stick, copy data to another device, if laptop HD fails - use usb stick to reinstall system on external usb 1tb drive and copy data from data.

Booting from usb stick worked with initial system but after installing apps and updates and creating new iso on usb stick, booting from usb stick same user/pass no longer works.

2nd problem: - can install initial system (without updates and apps) from usb stick to laptop but if i try to install to external usb drive booting from laptop takes me straight to grub and booting from external 1tb usb takes me to grub recovery.

I just want to be able to boot ubuntu from external usb 1tb OR laptop internal drive. Alternatively re-install from external usb stick updated system iso with apps and updates where initial user / pass still works.

George Udosen
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kerry
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  • @George - sorry - had a mouse crisis - thanks for the edit :-) – kerry Feb 09 '17 at 06:10
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    Please tell us how you created the iso file! And please consider also other backup methods. See for example this link and links from it, https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BackupYourSystem and maybe also this alternative, cloning or making a compressed image with Clonezilla, http://www.clonezilla.org/ – sudodus Feb 09 '17 at 07:08
  • @sudodus iso was created with pinguy builder – kerry Feb 09 '17 at 08:24
  • @sudosus - the thing is a traitiona lbackup restore wont work for me as i do not have the luxury of 3 drives - only 2 and a couple of usb sticks. so i really need the second external drive to be a replica of the laptop drive so if laptop drive fails i can boot from 2nd drive with identical system setup – kerry Feb 09 '17 at 08:39
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2 Answers2

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Cloning with Clonezilla

I suggest that you download the current stable iso file of Clonezilla from

www.clonezilla.org/

Read the documents about it and try. Create a CD/DVD/USB boot drive from the iso file and boot into Clonezilla when you have connected both the original source drive and the new target drive (intended to become a cloned copy).

It is not too difficult, I would say much easier than to use pinguy bullder.

If your internal drive is easy to remove

"... so i really need the second external drive to be a replica of the laptop drive ..."

In this case you can use Clonezilla to clone the whole drive, which is one option. Other options are cloning one or more partitions and creating an image (a directory with a number of files, where the big files are compressed).

If you clone the whole drive, for example /dev/sda with Clonezilla into a target drive of the same kind and at least the same size as the source drive, the target drive will work, when it is replacing the original drive. But do not boot the system from one of these drives, when both are connected.

Testing

It is straightforward to test that you really have a working cloned copy - a replica. Replace the original drive with the cloned copy, boot and test that important things work correctly.

If your internal drive is difficult or impossible to remove

"On this family of laptop you have to remove the optical drive, remove the base panel, disconect speaker cable and battery cables plus one mother board ribon cable. Too much just to test :-) probably do more damage."

In this case you can use Clonezilla to create an image, a directory with a number of files, where the big files are compressed.

If you make an image of the whole drive, for example /dev/sda with Clonezilla, you can restore it into the original drive or a target drive of the same kind and at least the same size as the source drive. The target drive will work, just like the original drive. But do not boot the system from one of these drives, when both the original drive and a cloned copy are connected.

Testing

It is important to test that the backup is really working. Otherwise you cannot rely on it. In this case it is not straightforward.

  1. 'Everything' in the drive is new and you have no personal files in it, for example a single boot Ubuntu system:

    Take the risk of overwriting the original internal drive - Use Clonezilla to restore from the backup image to the original internal drive.

    Boot and test that important things work correctly.

  2. There are important personal files in your single boot Ubuntu system:

    Copy (backup) your important personal files to another drive, where you can see that the files are there and that you can use them. Use some backup program, or simply copy with the command line or {copy and paste/drag and drop} in your file browser.

    After that you can take the risk of overwriting the original internal drive - Use Clonezilla to restore from the backup image to the original internal drive.

    Boot and test that important things work correctly.

  3. You have a dual boot system with Ubuntu and another operating system, for example Windows or MacOS in the internal drive:

    In this case I think there is no really safe way to test that the Clonezilla image can be used to restore a working system. So I would recommend that you copy your important personal files to another drive, where you can see that the files are there and that you can use them. Use some backup program, or simply copy with the command line or {copy and paste/drag and drop} in your file browser.


Comment

Clonezilla does not make a complete cloned copy like for example dd (or mkusb, which wraps a safety belt around dd). Instead Clonezilla copies only the used blocks (where the bootloader, partition table, file system overhead, the files and directories are stored), and skips the free blocks. This makes Clonezilla much faster than dd, particularly when there is a lot of free space in the partitions.

sudodus
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  • This sounds pretty much perfect but I was hoping to be able to select which drive I boot from - is there anyway to do this. Also, as I was pursuing the original route, I used 2 usb sticks and made iso images at each stage during installation and set up, so if one usb failed I still had the other. I found that after using software updater the new usb/iso would boot into trial mode but after re-installation the laptop dropped into grub prompt on rebboot. In other words I can create an iso transfer to usb and reinstall if system has not been updated ..... ? – kerry Feb 10 '17 at 04:31
  • It depends on the computer. Many computers let you select drive to boot from. But with two identical drives (the original one and the cloned copy) the UUIDs and everything else are the same, and it can cause confusion, so some partitions might be selected and used on 'the other' drive, and things will be written there, which can make both of the drives impossible to use 'standalone'. Another kind of backup (with a 'third' drive) can solve the problem - Please explain what you mean by "In other words I can create an iso transfer to usb and reinstall if system has not been updated ..... ?". – sudodus Feb 10 '17 at 05:38
  • i mean I can create iso and transfer to usb and reinstall complete system from usb but if i update using ubuntu software updater then create iso and transfer to usb - usb still boots ok but when i reinstall from usb laptop goes into grub command line – kerry Feb 10 '17 at 06:29
  • I think I understand. I guess the method to create the iso file is somehow buggy or not complete. I think creating an good iso file that works both live and as an installer is one of the most difficult tasks in linux (developing the linux kernel is more difficult). That means basically that you create an own linux distro or at least an own 're-spin'. It is definitely overkill, if you 'only' want a complete backup or replica of your current system. – sudodus Feb 10 '17 at 07:20
  • @sudosus - yeah tell me about it - anyway downloaded clonezilla iso, burnt to CD, booted, cloned laptop to external drive but drive does not show up in ubuntu or windows, cannot disable or remove laptop drive, cannot boot with both drives connected and just select extenal usb - so dont know what is on external, if anything or if it works. I swapped to ubuntu from windows, beginning to regret it - disk image software I had for windows was so simple and easy - just didnt like windows - lost :-( – kerry Feb 10 '17 at 08:18
  • @sudosus - spent one month now with ubuntu trying to create distro, backup and clone - nothing works ....... reinstalled over 30 times now - guess thats the answer - keep backup of data on one drive, then buy 3rd drive, if disk crashes reinstall from scratch, copy data over - insane .... thanks so much for your help anyway - appreciated :-) – kerry Feb 10 '17 at 08:35
  • No, it is not insane, but there is a learning curve. Please tell me why you cannot remove the laptop drive. (It is rather easy in the laptops of my family.) Another alternative is to test the cloned copy in another PC computer. It is likely to work unless you have installed proprietary drivers (for example for graphics or wifi). But installing linux is a very fast process. So [re]installing and after that restoring the personal files and tweaks from a backup is a method that many people use. – sudodus Feb 10 '17 at 09:08
  • @sudosus - On this family of laptop you have to remove the optical drive, remove the base panel, disconect speaker cable and battery cables plus one mother board ribon cable. Too much just to test :-) probably do more damage. If i connect the clone drive to a windows pc and change boot sequence could it harm windows pc, i am not worried about drivers just want to see if it boots. But I dont understand why the external drive is not detected. – kerry Feb 11 '17 at 03:13
  • @sudosus - started chat .... – kerry Feb 12 '17 at 05:27
  • Clonezilla has caused me too many problems, so I use dd - but you have to boot a LiveCD (the original install disk) and also wipe the partition tables via dd of=/dev/sdb if=/dev/urandom -count 24 first. FYI, dd can just be if= and of= but fudging with bs does not help in any way. – SDsolar Oct 18 '17 at 19:22
  • @SDsolar, 1. We have different experiences with Clonezilla; 2. bs=4096 (or greater values (powers of 2) makes the cloning speed much higher than the default (bs=512). But the final cloning result will be the same. See this link, https://askubuntu.com/questions/931581/flashing-ubuntu-iso-to-usb-stick-with-dd/931588#931588 – sudodus Oct 18 '17 at 19:45
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Easier to use and better IMO REDO. I found it as alternative to clonezilla (it dosen't work with my HDD) at alternativeto.net.