Re: Converting a *live* Fedora box to Debian
On Sat, 5 Feb 2005, Joe Emenaker wrote:
What I'm wondering is: is it possible to convert the machine completely from
Fedora to Debian *all* through an ssh session, without ever having access to
the box. I think it can be done. I'm experimenting with a raw Fedora install
Depends. If they left free space on the disk, and you do not care to hold
on to any of the existing data it is relatively easy - just make a new
Debian install using debootstrap in a free filesystem, setup your
bootloader to know about it and boot into Debian. Now blow away Fedora
and repeat installing Debian onto the rest of the disk.
If you want to keep data is becomes a bit more complicated...
You have to shuffle data. You can shutdown all services by stepping
backwards through rcX.d (whatever runlevel you are using) and use fuser to
umount filesystems as processes release them. You are effectively
entering single user mode the hard way. I wouldn't just init S in case it
shutdown networking.
Once filesystems can be umounted you can mv one to the side and shuffle
the data to create space for a new root filesystem. Then use Debootstap.
For the record I have moved /var & /home on a box this way. I drove into
a user group meeting (HUMBUG has a tradition of bringing boxes to the
meeting - dozens turn up for a 10 hour session) and partitioned the box
back at home. I did this partly as an experiment. It worked but I knew
if I messed it up all I had to do was drive home.
This sort of endeavour will fall apart if you make one mistake.
But, before I go much further, does anyone know of any docs on how to do
this? Or does anybody know of some real deal-killer roadblocks that I'm going
to run into?
Be careful about shutting down networking as noted above.
Personally I would not do this unless the provider is prepared to fix the
mess (perhaps doing a minimum Debian install) to get it back online.
Rob
--
Robert Brockway B.Sc.
Senior Technical Consultant, OpenTrend Solutions Ltd.
Phone: 416-669-3073 Email: rbrockway@opentrend.net http://www.opentrend.net
OpenTrend Solutions: Reliable, secure solutions to real world problems.
Contributing Member of Software in the Public Interest (http://www.spi-inc.org)
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