🚀 go-pugleaf

Matt Hyne <mhyne@rp.csiro.au> writes:

>I want to transfer my linux from one machine to a totally different
>machine - ie copy my linux partition from my disk onto the other disk and
>then run it on the other machine.

>So if I set the drive out of the other machine up as a secondary in my
>machine what do I do to copy all my linux to it (including making it
>bootable) - is it this easy ???

I'll assume your linux goodies are presently on /dev/hda1 and you want to
put them onto the other drive which you have (temprarily) installed as
/dev/hdb, fdisked to make a /dev/hdb1 and marked /dev/hdb1 as active.
If you use LILO on a partition boot record and not the master boot record,
you will have to ensure there is a valid MBR on the new disk, such as
"fdisk /mbr" under DOS, etc.  Might as well make a swap partiton on the 
new disk while you are there. Then do a:

# mke2fs -vc /dev/hdb1
# mount -vt ext2 /dev/hdb1 /mnt
# cd /
# tar -cplf - ./ | tar -C /mnt -xvpf -
# umount -v /mnt

The "l" in the tar stops it from crossing filesystems and picking up any
NFS volumes or the cruft in /proc (you don't want to copy /proc/kcore).
If your root fs partition has changed names (i.e. was hda1, will now be
hda2 or whatever) then you will have to edit /mnt/etc/fstab and 
/mnt/etc/lilo.conf to reflect the changes prior to unmounting. 

Rather than futz about trying to make the disk bootable while connected
as a secondary drive, it is easier to just make a boot floppy and
then simply rerun LILO once the drive is in its final home. E.g.

# cat /vmlinuz > /dev/fd0
# rdev /dev/fd0 /dev/hda1

and then boot with that floppy once the disk is installed in the
new machine, and then 

# /sbin/lilo

Paul.