How do I backup a full install?

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Amgine
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How do I backup a full install?

#1 Post by Amgine »

I just did a full install to my hard drive, Since its fresh and I have all my drivers, and favorite eye-candy stuff installed. I would like to make a backup, so if I mess something up, "Like I did earlier today", I can get my computer back up quicker?

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rcrsn51
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#2 Post by rcrsn51 »

Read here.

jafadmin
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#3 Post by jafadmin »

My personal favorite is "tar". These scripts are on the backup drive. I open a terminal shell there and run the appropriate script.

Code: Select all


#!/bin/sh
#
# Use  "tar" to create a full sys backup zip archive named with the current date.
#
tar -zcvpf "R51-fullsysbackup_`date '+%b-%d-%Y'`.tar.gz" / --exclude=mnt  --exclude=dev 

#!/bin/sh
#
#Restore full sys backup of TP R51
#
tar -zxvpf R51-fullsysbackup_Oct-16-2012.tar.gz


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Hotdog
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Location: Georgia USA

#4 Post by Hotdog »

Amgine,

A backup and restore utility that I use is PING (Ping Is Not Ghost). It is a standalone bootable CD. It reports to be able to do media-spanning if needed. Haven't tried that feature but the backup and restore functions are fast. It can also compress the data. I found it at http://ping.windowsdream.com/.
[i]Puppy 5.2.8.7, Full Install[/i]

tytower

#5 Post by tytower »

Not worth it
Last edited by tytower on Fri 01 Feb 2013, 07:19, edited 3 times in total.

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rjbrewer
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#6 Post by rjbrewer »

tytower wrote:Note that with a full install you dont really need to back up much at all.
All of the needed files are on the Live CD you downloaded to install from ! The only backup you need is the save file which can be regularly backed up to a flash drive which has the basic system installed on it too.

Thats for Puppy stuff anyway

My method is to get the live CD . Boot puppy and install it on my harddrive as a full install. When asked where to save I choose my hard drive . Next time I boot from the CD -there is only 1 save file so it goes there quickly and loads quickly. When you close it does not need to save ,its on the hard drive so thats much quicker.

Then all you need to do is insert a USB stick , do an install on it and copy your savefile across to it from time to time when you think of it .
You only need that if your hard drive copy gets corrupted.
If you want to run a CD or burn one just take the live CD out.
If you use .sfs files or want to keep others then copy those at the same time as the savefile
"Full installs" do not have or use "save files"!

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Msi Wind U100, N270 1.6>2.0Ghz, 1.5Gb ram.
Eeepc 8g 701, 900Mhz, 1Gb ram.
Full installs

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Amgine
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#7 Post by Amgine »

tytower wrote:Note that with a full install you dont really need to back up much at all.
All of the needed files are on the Live CD you downloaded to install from ! The only backup you need is the save file which can be regularly backed up to a flash drive which has the basic system installed on it too.

Thats for Puppy stuff anyway

My method is to get the live CD . Boot puppy and install it on my harddrive as a full install. When asked where to save I choose my hard drive . Next time I boot from the CD -there is only 1 save file so it goes there quickly and loads quickly. When you close it does not need to save ,its on the hard drive so thats much quicker.

Then all you need to do is insert a USB stick , do an install on it and copy your savefile across to it from time to time when you think of it .
You only need that if your hard drive copy gets corrupted.
If you want to run a CD or burn one just take the live CD out.
If you use .sfs files or want to keep others then copy those at the same time as the savefile
That is a frugal install not a full.
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tytower

#8 Post by tytower »

Not worth the effort
Last edited by tytower on Fri 01 Feb 2013, 07:20, edited 1 time in total.

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rjbrewer
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#9 Post by rjbrewer »

tytower wrote:Well boys when I choose full install on the CD as I have said a savefile is created on the hard drive and this is what I backup and this is what is loaded when it goes looking for a savefile.

So you figure it out. This is for 5.3 and 5.4.2 and I think 5.1

Please do these things yourself before you contradict and Amgine only one contrary claim is needed thanks.


I have a "precisesave.2fs" with a new date for today-see below
That doesn't look anything like a full install!
Read this;

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=29653

Inspiron 700m, Pent.M 1.6Ghz, 1Gb ram.
Msi Wind U100, N270 1.6>2.0Ghz, 1.5Gb ram.
Eeepc 8g 701, 900Mhz, 1Gb ram.
Full installs

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Amgine
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#10 Post by Amgine »

tytower wrote:Well boys when I choose full install on the CD as I have said a savefile is created on the hard drive and this is what I backup and this is what is loaded when it goes looking for a savefile.

So you figure it out. This is for 5.3 and 5.4.2 and I think 5.1

Please do these things yourself before you contradict and Amgine only one contrary claim is needed thanks.


I have a "precisesave.2fs" with a new date for today-see below
No that is not a full install. See the attachment. ...

The path you show /mnt/home takes me back to my Kubuntu partition. Do you have your hard drive partitioned?

Also: With a full install Puppy does not ask to save when you shut down.
Attachments
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Last edited by Amgine on Thu 31 Jan 2013, 23:08, edited 2 times in total.

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James C
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#11 Post by James C »

First, a full install does not have a savefile. But, it is possible to end up with one in error.
After performing a traditional full install ,while running from the live cd...... when attempting a reboot/shutdown after finishing the full install do not save when asked........ or you'll end up with a full install and an extra unneeded savefile.
Not going to try to hunt the link again but there was an "how-to" with an incorrect install procedure on the web that led to a number of these posts before.

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rcrsn51
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#12 Post by rcrsn51 »

The sure way to answer this full/frugal question is to look at the GRUB menu.lst entry.

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James C
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#13 Post by James C »

In answer to the original question, I just use Clonezilla to make a copy onto a spare partition somewhere.Then ,if needed just copy it back.

tytower

#14 Post by tytower »

Not worth the effort
Last edited by tytower on Fri 01 Feb 2013, 07:21, edited 3 times in total.

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Amgine
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#15 Post by Amgine »

tytower wrote:
James C wrote:First, a full install does not have a savefile. But, it is possible to end up with one in error.
After performing a traditional full install ,while running from the live cd...... when attempting a reboot/shutdown after finishing the full install do not save when asked........ or you'll end up with a full install and an extra unneeded savefile.
Not going to try to hunt the link again but there was an "how-to" with an incorrect install procedure on the web that led to a number of these posts before.
Hope you will excuse this off subject deviation . Ill try make it short.

Tell me just quickly James C ,how does the system save its files then . Say it has a file /usr/bin/checkmeout . Does it go in a savefile? or straight into /usr/bin/ ?
Why does my system then use this save file every boot if it is not needed . Start a new thread if you like .

Anyway I like to have a save file . It gives me a place that I know anything I have added different to the Live CD is in there unless I decide not to have it there.
When you do a USB or a Frugal install everything loads in RAM, after an amount of time, it auto saves your RAM to your save file. and at shut down.

Full installs runs from the hard drive. Same as running Ubuntu.

http://puppylinux.org/wikka/FrugalOrFullInstallation
Last edited by Amgine on Fri 01 Feb 2013, 01:06, edited 1 time in total.
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tytower

#16 Post by tytower »

Not worth the effort
Last edited by tytower on Fri 01 Feb 2013, 07:21, edited 1 time in total.

tytower

#17 Post by tytower »

Not worth the effort
Last edited by tytower on Fri 01 Feb 2013, 07:22, edited 1 time in total.

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Amgine
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#18 Post by Amgine »

Nagging about it is a wastes of hard drive space too.

But if you have a save file ITS NOT A FULL INSTALL :D

Your having trouble. Its not working like it should.
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Amgine
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#19 Post by Amgine »

tytower wrote:
Amgine wrote:No that is not a full install. See the attachment. ...
The path you show /mnt/home takes me back to my Kubuntu partition. Do you have your hard drive partitioned?

Also: With a full install Puppy does not ask to save when you shut down.
No it doesn't but the savefile has been updated on the hard drive and a message pops up as you shut down to say this is the case .
The save file is there though and is always used

I have said go try it yourself . Something has changed that you are not aware of I think.
Excuse me, I don't need to go try it for myself, I know what is going on your thinking is messed up.

I have been using the full install for a week now, I know what I am talking about.

You should listen and stop talking. You might learn something.
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Amgine
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#20 Post by Amgine »

Frugal or Full Installation

This page explains the differences between Frugal and Full installation.

Full Installation
In a Full installation the linux directory structure takes up a whole drive partition. The contents from Puppy Linux's BaseSFS are extracted to the linux directory structure. All subsequent software installations, file edits and additions are made directly to the partition's file system. The directory structure is stored as it appears in the file manager or listed by a terminal emulator.


Frugal Installation
A frugal installation involves using compressed 'filesystem-within-a-file/s' without expanding them. These files are,

When first run:

the Puppy Linux loads the BaseSFS (also known as PupSfs) a Sfs file containing Linux file system and directory structure (RootFS) (read only) eg. lupu_528.sfs


Additional files:

the Puppy 'save file' containing settings, additional software, modifications etc. (read/write) eg. lupusave-mysave.2fs
additional software Sfs files (read only) eg. Gimp_2.7.3_528.sfs



On start-up these file-systems are super-imposed upon each other so that they appear merged. Additional files and alterations are written to the Puppy Save File (if within the Linux directory structure). The directory structure viewed in a file manager or listed by a terminal emulator is actually contained within these compressed files.
For more information see How Puppy works.


Comparsion

Full Frugal (not in RAM) Frugal (copied to RAM)
Drive partition required Yes No No
Installation directory Requires a drive partition Almost any directory Almost any directory
Speed Medium Likely to be slower Faster
Installation file system Linux Type FAT, NTFS, Linux Type FAT, NTFS, Linux Type
Installation Protection RootFS writable with root user access BaseSfs Read only BaseSfs Read only
Pup SaveFile No, directly accesses RootFS Yes, saved directly to disk Yes, in RAM (saved to disk on request/reboot)
Load/Unload SFS files Harder Easy Easy


Also see
How to Add SFS to Full Installation

Categories
CategoryInstallation
How to Create a Full Installation on an Internal Hard Disk Drive (H.D.D.)

Ensure that the target installation partition has ≥350MB free space available
Create a LiveDVD or LiveUSB
Start the target computer with the LiveDVD/USB: if the computer does not start/boot from the LiveDVD it will be necessary to either access a boot menu or the B.I.O.S. so that the computer is instructed to boot with the optical drive or U.S.B. flash memory drive and not any other type of drive; restarting will be necessary in conjunction with using the correct key(s) (see Appendix below);
Configure the keyboard, locale & timezone settings {one is offered to do this either during start-up or immediately after}
Prepare the H.D.D. (optional) using Menu > System > GParted; after any modifications re-start the computer without saving any changes and with the LiveDVD/USB connected
Install to H.D.D. using Menu > System > Puppy Universal Installer
Remove the LiveDVD/USB and re-start the computer without saving


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASZm1aHDh_k
http://www.mygnulinux.com/?p=385
http://www.arsgeek.com/2006/12/05/insta ... ard-drive/
http://www.ph-islands.net/pupinstall/winxp.php


Appendix - Setting the correct boot sequence

helpdeskgeek.com
pcsupport.about.com
hiren.info
whitecanyon.com
extremetech.com
labtestproject.com
wikihow.com



Also on the Wiki
How to Create a Frugal Installation on an Internal or External Hard Disk Drive (H.D.D.)
Full or Frugal installation


Categories
CategoryInstallation
TOO BIG

Link http://puppylinux.org/wikka/InstallationFrugal
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