[GLLUG] questions about embedded devices.

[Tom Schouten]

( Or alternatively, use dd in combination with a netcat  / netcat -l 
pair instead of gzip/ssh in case the machine isn't very fast but has at 
least a 100M network.  But I guess speed is not your problem since it's 
a one-time job. )

The main point being that the "dd" method - as opposed to a file-based 
method like "rsync" -  will also backup the boot loader.

For mounting partitions inside a raw disk image, you might want 
something like this:
http://madduck.net/blog/2006.10.20:loop-mounting-partitions-from-a-disk-image/

(or this:
http://zwizwa.be/darcs/pool/bin/plosetup
i had to make some modifications to make it work)

On 03/25/2013 03:48 PM, pdwald wrote:
> The following should do it:
>
> dd if=/dev/hda bs=1024 | gzip | ssh root at host_ip 'gzip -d | dd
> of=hda_file.img bs=1024'
>
> hda_file.img will be an image (bit by bit) of the hda disk. You may
> then try to use the image with virtualbox (perhaps the raw image or
> using  some conversion tool to convert it to a vdi image type, etc).
>
>
> On Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 2:45 PM, Peter Christenson<pac1.mi at gmail.com>  wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> so I'm working on a device that is for all practical purposes headless.
>> there is no documentation onsite, and in the next few months I will need to
>> change a few conf files.
>> the service contract has been gone for a few years and so I don't have
>> access to OEM support at this time.
>> I am able to ssh into it, and am able to find a bit of information
>> I believe that its based on redhat, but I don't know...
>>
>> what I want to do is copy the entire drive so that (A) I have a backup. and
>> (B) I can try and run it in a VE for testing and modification.
>>
>> any thoughts and opinions are welcome!!
>>
>> this is what I've gotten so far.
>>
>>   Linux MTS3L-35 2.6.20.1-rt8-dsa-mts3l-6 #1 PREEMPT Mon Oct 15 16:41:36 CEST
>> 2007 armv5tel unknown
>>
>> BusyBox v1.01-DSA-1 (2007.03.29-10:43+0000) multi-call binary
>>
>> dsa at MTS3L-35:/dev$ df
>> Filesystem           1k-blocks      Used Available Use% Mounted on
>> /dev/hda1               126263     49883     69861  42% /
>> /dev/hda3               291366    184006     92315  67% /var
>> /dev/hda3               291366    184006     92315  67% /dev
>> /dev/hda3               291366    184006     92315  67% /data
>> /dev/hda3               291366    184006     92315  67% /root/.ssh
>> /dev/hda3               291366    184006     92315  67% /home/dsa/.ssh
>> /dev/hda3               291366    184006     92315  67% /home/tester
>> /dev/hda3               291366    184006     92315  67% /tmp
>>
>>
>> thanks All
>> Peter.
>>
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