On Tue, Oct 17, 2000 at 01:08:23PM +0100, Mike.Jones@ons.gov.uk (Mike.Jones@ons.gov.uk) wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm using a cheap, low-spec PC (running Debian 2.2) as a dial-up server,
> firewall, proxy webserver, etc. for my main home PC.
>
> Now I have it configured as I want it, I'd like to make some backups. The
> problem is that the only backup device available is a 100MB parallel-port
> Zip drive. This isn't supported by any of the 'standard' rescue disks, and
> anyway it is a bit small to back up everything. Fortunately, I can afford a
> few days off the Internet if I ever have to rebuild the PC, so here's my
> plan:-
>
> To backup:
> 1. Back up /usr/local, /home, and /etc to the Zip disk.
> 2. Capture the output of 'dpkg --get-selections' to a file and back it up
> to the Zip disk.
> 3. Back up /usr/src/linux/.config to a floppy - I won't be able to read
> from the Zip disk until I have rebuilt a custom kernel.
>
> To rebuild:
> 1. Install the base Debian system, plus the kernel source package,
> make-kpkg, and any dependencies.
> 2. Copy the kernel config file from floppy to /usr/src/linux. Build and
> install a custom kernel with parallel-port Zip support.
> 3. Now I can read the Zip disk, and run 'dpkg --set-selections' against the
> saved output from 'dpkg --set-selections'.
> 4. Run dselect (or apt-get ...) to fetch and install the selected packages.
> 5. Restore /usr/local, /home, and /etc (this should restore all the
> original configuration files).
>
> Will this work? Is there anything I have missed? Any comments and
> suggestions gratefully received.
Sounds reasonably good.
I'd run through the recovery process, to the extent of:
- Building a kernel from your archived configuration file(s).
- Booting new kernel (modify lilo to do this).
- Confirming read of Zip drive.
- Reading package list (you don't have to run it, just read it).
- Verify (tar -tvf) your backup archives.
See if there's anything which didn't work as planned. With the
exception of /lib/modules/<kernel-version> and /etc/lilo.conf, there
shouldn't be any part of your system you'll need to modify to do this.
Note that Zip media can be flaky, you'll probably want a couple of
copies of the archive to be on the safe side.
--
Karsten M. Self <kmself@ix.netcom.com> http://www.netcom.com/~kmself
Evangelist, Opensales, Inc. http://www.opensales.org
What part of "Gestalt" don't you understand? There is no K5 cabal
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