[NMLUG] drive duplication/backup

[peter at espen.net (Peter Espen)]

>   What is wrong with tar?
> 
>   We all know tar doesn't make a drive bootable.  We also know that if you
> tar a partition (ie. tar c /dev/hda), when you untar, it doesn't resize the
> partition into the new size.  Tar just isn't designed for that kind of
> thing.
> 

I think 'dd' and 'fdisk' are better tools for such things because they can
copy boot blocks and such, which would have saved you the need to do all
that Win95 boot disk stuff you describe below.

 - snip -
> 
>   I replaced the primary master drive with a good one.  I then booted with
> my Win95 boot disk.  (you do have a recovery disk for your Windows computers
> don't you?)  I fdisk'd the drive, creating, marking active and formatting
> the partition (with system, making bootable).  I shut down the computer.
> 
 - snip -

>   The conclusion of all this is that I have a backup method for Win95, 98
> and ME that isn't Windows based.  Also, with chroot, I can have a Linux
> partition make itself bootable.

Technically, it's partially Windows based because your method needed the Win95
boot disk you describe above.  Linux with 'fidks' and dd' can duplicate Windows
partitions and drives completely without needing any Windows software at all.