backup iso

zapeador

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Hello

Do you know any tool (command line) to create an .iso of your system like this and then be installable? with your users, configuration files... everything

In summary, to be able to make backups and in case of loss of data or configurations, install the latest version from an .iso file.
 


You can use Timeshift via the terminal, I believe @captain-sensible knows a bit more about this method than I.
 
thankyou @brickwizard i'm no expert on timeshift; one of the experts is Chris probably a few others on here ! To me there is a bit of a cross over between getting an OS back up and running when some of its system files get borked or an update somehow causes a problem , cloning of the OS and lastly mass storeage of files which are not system files.

I've done back ups in several ways depending on my mood , memory and last thing i was researching.

Probably one of the most important is a means of getting your OS back up and running if some update causes problems. For that I use Timeshift from the command line ,with a one off use of GUI wizard for where backups are going to be installed.

if i enter into a snapshot i used timeshift to create i can give you an idea of whats saved:
Code:
[andrew@darkstar:2022-02-20_14-52-23/localhost]$ ls                                                                                                           (03-02 15:18)
bin@  boot/  dev/  etc/  home/  lib@  lib64@  LICENSE  media/  mnt/  opt/  proc/  recordaScript  root/  run/  sbin@  srv/  sys/  tmp/  usr/  var/
[andrew@darkstar:2022-02-20_14-52-23/localhost]$

So i think put simply Timeshift might be considered similar to Microsofts "restore" or whatever it was called.


Now for specific backing up of say directories such as specific directories in Apache web server running local host located at /srv/http (im on Arch) I like to use the gui of rsync . I can do i quick dry run then back a whole web site in dev to an external hard drive. When i was on slackware and wanted to backup /etc/ files i just used "ls" and piped through tar i think it was. Thats was so i could refer back to from working files if i messed up on editing something like /etc/httpd/conf/ httpd.conf


I've also played with fsarchiver to save whole partitions and you can use ddrescue to save a whole partition as an .img file

you can also use dd command , i havent done it but :

Code:
so this should be possible to a usb (big enough) :

# dd if=/dev/sda of=/mnt/point/sdaimage.img
 
Last edited:
This page tells you how to remaster the .iso to include what you want. If that is the route you choose to go.
 
Code:
# dd if=/dev/sda of=/mnt/point/sdaimage.img
Currently I use dd and pass a disk to an .img file (or tar.gz) what happens is that to restore it later I have to use a cdlive, mount the share and do another dd of the .img file to the sda partition... .and it works calro but it's a bit confusing,

my idea was to create an iso of the sda and then loading it from the file to be restored, I don't know if you have ever seen that
 
to be honest @zapeador i get next to no problems; what is your setup that you seem to have to keep backing and restoring ?
 
An ancient ninja secret:

You can use Gnome Disks to make an .img of a drive/partition. The .img can be used just like a .iso, including burning it as an image. However, it doesn't have an installer, so you'd have to extract it to your drive. I seem to recall that it's possible to make an installer - but you can just use a Live USB to restore the .img file where ever you want.
 
An ancient ninja secret:

You can use Gnome Disks to make an .img of a drive/partition. The .img can be used just like a .iso, including burning it as an image. However, it doesn't have an installer, so you'd have to extract it to your drive. I seem to recall that it's possible to make an installer - but you can just use a Live USB to restore the .img file where ever you want.


yes, Currently I use dd and pass a disk to an .img file (or tar.gz) what happens is that to restore it later I have to use a cdlive, mount the share and do another dd of the .img file to the sda partition... .and it works calro but it's a bit confusing,

which I think is something similar to what you say
 
to be honest @zapeador i get next to no problems; what is your setup that you seem to have to keep backing and restoring ?

It is not a very complicated configuration, but they are machines that must stop for the shortest possible time, that is why I am looking for the fastest and easiest solution so that someone without much knowledge can do it too
 
 

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