Re: dpkg database rebuild

[Brian Kimball <bk@bk.cx>]

Ritesh Raj Sarraf wrote:

> If I copy the whole filesystem to another hard drive and rebuild the
> dpkg database, will it work ? Will dpkg be able to understand all the
> packages installed ?

Yes, and you don't have to rebuild anything.  Forget all that discussion 
about dpkg --get-selections and --set-selections.  Totally unnecessary. 
If you copy everything then there won't be any packages to reinstall. 
Just make sure you copy everything, and do it properly (either with 
tar, "cp -a", etc.).

I would recommend booting into knoppix or a rescue disc so you're not 
trying to copy a live system.  Then make sure you edit the appropriate 
files in the new /etc (lilo.conf, fstab, etc.) so the new system can 
boot.

I do this everytime I get a new hard drive or new laptop.  As a result 
all of my i386 machines are running more or less from the same debian 
install from 1998.  I love it.

      brian