Re: transfer disk
On 10/04/18 14:01, mick crane wrote:
hello,
Can you pop a hard disk that boots with a Debian installation on it into
another entirely different PC and will the kernel try to make sense of
its new hardware ?
mick
Mostly. I once had a disk that often moved between a desktop and laptop.
If the architecture is compatible (e.g. not amd64 <-> arm64) then most
likely it can be made to work. Common things that require fixing:
- Disk uses Legacy (BIOS) boot and partitioning but support is not
enabled on the motherboard. Fix: turn on your motherboard Compatibility
Support Module or similar.
- Disk uses UEFI but ancient motherboard does not support it. Unfixable.
- Disk uses UEFI. Motherboard supports UEFI but has no boot entry and
disk may need to be manually selected. Running update-grub should fix.
- Motherboard has secure boot enabled and is password locked. Fixable if
you can unlock it.
- Failed boot because the kernel or graphics drivers do not like your
new hardware. Supply fallback options at the command line, like noapic etc.
- Anyone using ancient kernels with Skylake or later is going to have a
bad time. A recent kernel should improve compatibility.
- Hardcoded device paths in /etc/fstab might need to be changed. Most
installers use UUIDs for portability.
- You might find yourself with no network, especially no wifi. If your
new hardware is supported (e.g. by non-free), get the .debs you need on
a thumb drive and install them.
It is usually safe to have unused drivers so feel free to plan ahead and
install all drivers you need before you migrate.
Kind regards,
--
Ben Caradoc-Davies <ben@transient.nz>
Director
Transient Software Limited <https://transient.nz/>
New Zealand
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