[GLLUG] Re: If RSYNC then how - also HDPARM?

Mon Nov 5 11:30:16 EST 2007

Thanks for your response - As I said, I am not familiar with the rsync flags at all.  So then rsynce could handle the ext3 partitions but not the NTFS so then this tool won't work for what I am trying to do - Plus, what about grub and the boot sector?

Benjamin Cathey
System Administrator
Cathey Company
4917 Tranter St.
Lansing, MI 48910 USA
Phone:     517.393.4720
Fax:       517.393.4225
Toll Free: 800.333.1972
"Service is Our Profession"

----- Original Message -----
From: Mike Neir
[mailto:lists at obscuredomainname.com]
To: Benjamin Cathey
[mailto:benjamincathey at catheycompany.com]
Cc: Richard Houser
[mailto:rick at divinesymphony.net], Michael Watters
[mailto:michael at watters.ws], linux-user at egr.msu.edu
Sent: Mon, 05 Nov 2007
10:40:54 -0500
Subject: Re: If RSYNC then how - also HDPARM?

>->> Rsync will copy the files for you on an NTFS partition, but the thing it 
>->> won't do is grab the permissions correctly. There's a lot of metadata in 
>->> the NTFS filesystem that just doesn't exist on a *nix-style filesystem. 
>->> In my opinion, trying to copy the Windows partition with rsync is a 
>->> waste of time.
>->> 
>->> However, you can copy *nix filesystems with it quite easily. The flags I 
>->> use for my typical rsyncs are "-avHlx" (yes, I know some of them are 
>->> redundant... it's a habit). That will copy every attrbute of the 
>->> file/directory when its copied, preserve both hard links and symlinks, 
>->> and will only copy files/directories within that filesystem. The latter 
>->> is useful for root partitions because it won't copy stuff out of 
>->> partitions mounted on top of a subdirectory, such as /proc, /sys, or 
>->> /home. You'll have to copy things on a partition by partition basis this 
>->> way, but you'll know you're getting the best possible replication.
>->> 
>->> Hope this helps.
>->> 
>->> MN
>->> 
>->> Benjamin Cathey wrote:
>->> > Okay - don't bother replying if all you have to suggest is to google it or
>->> 'there are plenty of howto's on the internet' -- I believe one of the main
>->> reasons I JOINED a lug was for the support locally and help if you need it. 
>->> At least that's how I see it . . . anyway . . . .
>->> > 
>->> > Please, as I expressed earlier - if you think rsync is a better option
>->> explain what flags, etc I would need to use.  The process if you will.  I
>->> know it would still need to be done from a boot disk.  I would have to
>->> partition the new drive.
>->> > 
>->> > Beyond that then what??  I really don't know here.  I have read about
>->> rsync but don't know all the flags, etc.  Also, does it support NTFS?  I
>->> mean, I know if I boot from a live cd, I can install NTFS-3G and mount the
>->> partitions as writable but beyond that what flags do I need?  and what about
>->> grub?
>->> > 
>->> > Also - as I side note, how about the fact that the new drive has a bigger
>->> cache on it?  Will linux automatically figure that out on it's own or do I
>->> need to use HD parm or some tool to tell it to use this extra space and
>->> 'optimize' the new hdd?
>->> > 
>->> > 
>->> > Benjamin Cathey
>->> > System Administrator
>->> > Cathey Company
>->> > 4917 Tranter St.
>->> > Lansing, MI 48910 USA
>->> > Phone:     517.393.4720
>->> > Fax:       517.393.4225
>->> > Toll Free: 800.333.1972
>->> > "Service is Our Profession"
>->> > 
>->> > 
>->> > ----- Original Message -----
>->> > From: Richard Houser
>->> > [mailto:rick at divinesymphony.net]
>->> > To: Michael Watters
>->> > [mailto:michael at watters.ws]
>->> > Cc: Benjamin Cathey
>->> > [mailto:benjamincathey at catheycompany.com], linux-user at egr.msu.edu
>->> > Sent: Wed,
>->> > 31 Oct 2007 20:20:39 -0400
>->> > Subject: Re: [GLLUG] Dual-Boot Copy?
>->> > 
>->> > 
>->> >> ->> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>->> >> ->> Hash: SHA1
>->> >> ->> 
>->> >> ->> > I'm a big fan of the KISS principle.  dd the drive to the new one
>->> and
>->> >> ->> > resize the file systems, that's all you need to do.
>->> >> ->> 
>->> >> ->> As an image based copy, dd has the downside of transmitting all data,
>->> >> ->> not just what's in the filesystem.  So, 1GB of data on a 500GB drive
>->> >> ->> would be 500GB of data to copy via dd or 1GB of data to copy via
>->> rsync
>->> >> ->> or tar.  Dd will also copy deleted data, so there might be security
>->> >> ->> concerns as well.
>->> >> ->> 
>->> >> ->> In addition, dd will not allow you to change filesystem options like
>->> >> ->> block size or special features like "tails", will keep any
>->> fragmentation
>->> >> ->> or corruption, etc.  At a minimum, a filesystem based copy will
>->> detect
>->> >> ->> these errors.  In the case you have a corrupt filesystem, making an
>->> >> ->> image with dd before attempting repair can be the difference between
>->> a
>->> >> ->> hosed partition or not.
>->> >> ->> 
>->> >> ->> The KISS method would actually favor creating the partition as
>->> desired
>->> >> ->> and then copying the data to it.  Doing a larger copy then resize is
>->> a
>->> >> ->> lot more complicated and resource intensive of an operation (not
>->> simple
>->> >> ->> in any means).  In fact, back around 1999, that was just the way you
>->> did
>->> >> ->> it, period (not all filesystems even supported resizing then).
>->> >> ->> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
>->> >> ->> Version: GnuPG v1.4.7 (GNU/Linux)
>->> >> ->> Comment: Using GnuPG with Mandriva - http://enigmail.mozdev.org
>->> >> ->> 
>->> >> ->> iD8DBQFHKRvVUMkt1ZRwL1MRAoe5AJ9DKss/7dX8d/DXlM2NZoy0/rh49gCgonM6
>->> >> ->> DTrXVlnIFusRM7utUmOEUiw=
>->> >> ->> =qmMA
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>->> >> ->> 
>->> > 
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>->> 
>->> 

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