1 Topic by linuxeventually (edited by linuxeventually 2006-09-04 06:58:40)

  • linuxeventually
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Topic: Recommendation for harddrive backup

First post in this subforum, huh? Anyway, I always notice people saying to backup before messing around with unstable software or partitioning. However, which program do the mods here in the GParted forum recommend?

I would like to be able to backup my partitions to CDs (possibly DVDs if I decide to just go and buy a DVD burner). Commercially there is Norton Ghost and Acronis DriveImage. I would like something opensource or at least free so I don't have to resort to pirating software ;-)

The utilities I am aware of are dd (doesn't ignore blank sectors and command line based), Ghost4Linux (haven't heard much about it), PartImage (not sure on its support for Windows' partitions), and DriveImage XML (does it backup linux partitions?) here is the link that I was referencing thefreecountry

I currently multiboot Windows XP and Ubuntu and eventually Gentoo.
For various reasons my parition table is a bit crazy:

hda1 NTFS 30GB Primary (XP boot)
hda2 NTFS 20GB Primary (XP downloads)
hda3 extended

hda5 NTFS 5GB (just kinda there for emergencies)
hda6 ext2 1GB Knoppix persistent home
hda7 ext2 .1GB Gentoo boot
hda8 swap 2GB
hda9 ext3 21GB Gentoo root
hda10 fat32 4GB knoppix swap
hda11 ext2 .1GB Ubuntu boot
hda12 swap 2GB linux-swap
hda13 ext3 20GB Ubuntu root
hda14 ext2 .1GB Gentoo boot (place holder for stage4 that my DVD-ROM drive can't read)
hda15 swap
hda16 ext3 20GB Gentoo root (place holder for stage4 that my DVD-ROM drive can't read)
hda17 ext3>ntfs 5GB vmware
hda18 ext3 15GB vmware

I think its about that, I didn't write down the last few so I had to recall them from memory...yeah. Ultimately, I'd like to backup the partitions that I don't really need and erase them from the drive. It's a 200GB Maxtor that I bought about a month or two back for $60 after rebate (waiting on the rebate). I have my original 30GB in a box (the literal box that the Maxtor came in) for backup purposed (ex: I hose the new hard drive)

Backing files up manually doesn't really work for me, because I need to be able to boot these OSes. Windows in particularly can be frustrating when it comes to that.

I want to further state, that I am aware that GParted is akin to the likes of PartitionMagic and I don't expect the functionality of say Ghost tacked on. I simply would like a suggestion in the right direction, what program(s) do the moderators use? smile

P.S. Keep up the good work, I asked here because I like/trust GParted, PartitionMagic has failed me in the past, but GParted has worked marvelously big_smile Anxious for 0.3 to be official smile

2 Reply by LarryT

  • LarryT
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Re: Recommendation for harddrive backup

The question is important as you said.
Personnaly i use both pqi (drive-image-6) and partimage.
- Driveimage is the best known tool to backup ntfs, and the old version (i mean from pqi) allow you do run DI from dos using floppies or even cd : using pqi directly from win is unsafe (sounds to me :-p) ; anyway, pqi disagree with linux partitions, saying something goes wrong on linux partitions, and asking for fixing them (which one must never let pqi do) ; but using dos, there is no usb support (i mean natively, because i have added such support on my custom-floppies wink).
- Partimage seems to be the most usefull tool to backup ext (2 or 3) partitions : you can run it locally or through the network, using eventually static binaries.

- There are other tools too : mondo (http://www.mondorescue.org/) [mondo create a iso file to be burn to cd-dvd], savepart (http://www.partition-saving.com/) and g4u (http://www.feyrer.de/g4u/).

You had better make your own choice after you test all those tools...

Larry
GParted-project Admin
Former GParted-LiveCD maintainer (2007)

3 Reply by linuxeventually

  • linuxeventually
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Re: Recommendation for harddrive backup

Thank you