Re: backing up kernel and initramfs for future rescue use with upslug2

["Gordon Farquharson" <gordonfarquharson@gmail.com>]

Hi Daniel

On 11/25/06, Daniel Kahn Gillmor <dkg-debian.org@fifthhorseman.net> wrote:

> I'd like to try to upgrade to the new kernel
> (linux-image-2.6.18-3-ixp4xx), but i want to make sure i can recover
> properly if something goes wrong.

I have tested this version of the kernel, and it works, so switching
to it shouldn't be a problem. I wouldn't switch the rest of the system
to packages from unstable just yet - for instance, there appears to be
a problem with the version of nslu2-utils in unstable that can make
the system unbootable.

>  0) Can i just copy the existing flash contents to a file, and back it
>     up on another machine?  This seems like it would be the easiest
>     (and most stable) thing to do, but i'm not sure how to do it.  Can
>     i just do something like this:
>
>      [root@igor]# cat /dev/mtdblock{0,1,2,3,4,5} >/var/backups/flashimage.bak
>      [root@igor]# scp /var/backups/flashimage.bak backuphost:igor-backups/
>
>     and then flash it with upslug2 from backuphost if something goes
>     wrong?  That does seem to add up to the right bytecount...

This method works (I do it all the time). A slightly shorter backup command is

$ cat /dev/mtdblock* > /var/backups/flashimage.bak

Gordon

--
Gordon Farquharson