Create bootable image of HDD?

[lwrver]

I have a stable smooth running laptop using 8.04, but the hdd is too small. I'd like to create a bootable image of the hdd to a larger USB hdd and then swap it out with the internal hdd. I've done this before with windoze, but what is the best way to do this with kubuntu?

Thanks!

[askrieger]

Re: Create bootable image of HDD?

Personally, I'd keep '/' on the laptop hard drive and move everything in '/home' to the usb drive with a link from '/'. Then you can keep all your space taking "stuff" on the external drive. Then your computer will run faster because code will be loaded from the hard drive, while data (which gets loaded only when you need it) will come from the bigger (but MUCH slower) USB drive. Lookup the bash command

ln -s <target> <linkname>

to create a "symbolic link". You need a symlink because a so called "hard link" can't link across file systems.

If you want to get really elaborate, you can keep /home/<your username>/ on the hard drive so that the configuration files (the hidden directories and files that your programs look at when they load) are on the fast drive and all your data is still on the big drive.

[diamond_gr]

Re: Create bootable image of HDD?

I think you can do that with Clonezilla.
Here is how to use it.
And here is clone HDD to HDD.

[wizard10000]

Re: Create bootable image of HDD?

I have a stable smooth running laptop using 8.04, but the hdd is too small. I'd like to create a bootable image of the hdd to a larger USB hdd and then swap it out with the internal hdd. I've done this before with windoze, but what is the best way to do this with kubuntu?

Easiest way to do it is with dd but it'll take some time on a large drive.

Make sure neither source nor target drive is mounted (that means boot from a live CD) and run the following

dd if=/dev/sda of=/dev/sdb

Assuming sda is the source drive and sdb is the target drive.

Out of the box this will copy 512 bytes at a time and is liable to be a little slow but you can use a 1mb block size by doing it this way -

dd if=/dev/sda of=/dev/sdb bs=1024k

Note this will make an *exact* copy of the disk including partition size so you'll probably want to resize one or more partitions afterward if the target drive is larger than the souce.

[Qqmike]

Re: Create bootable image of HDD?

I think you have to be careful with dd for this. Main issue is dd-ing from small to big, as wizard10000 pointed out. The image will think it is exactly the same as the original (the source), down to filesystem details, the MBR, and the partitioning. I would look into this very carefully first. My how-to is rather basic (i.e, safe!) and avoids this application (covering same-size clones only):
-- dd Command
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3090824.0
(and Reply#2: Making a backup of your Kubuntu OS)
But for something like the OP, I'd carefully read and maybe post at AwesomeMachine's now-classic dd references:
Learn the DD command
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ommand-362506/
He addresses this small-to-big issue; and as I say, you can post there, too.