Copy Ubuntu installation

[Seeyou]

Thought I'd start a new thread to possibly get some answers, seeing as the other question is bured in a 2 page thread that's not entirely related:

I bought a 120gb SSD. Partitioned it into 60gb NTFS partition, 60gb EXT4 partition. Re-installed Win7 on NTFS. I have an existing Ubuntu install I'd like to copy/clone onto the new partition, without destroying the partition I've created as it's properly aligned with Gparted.

So basically I'd like the Ubuntu install and it's contents/settings copied across, and the dual-boot setup "re-grubbed". I tried this already with a "cp -arv" from the live CD, and then a grub-install onto the new device, but that failed miserably, because it had the old grub menu items and complained about missing device ID's and whatnot. Is there an easier way to do it, or should I just reinstall? Nothing's changed besides the drive, and I have a buttload of packages and apps and servers configured, so I'd like to avoid the reinstall if possible.

Thanks in advance,

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

What you can do is create a seperate partition for your "/home"

I find its easier to upgrade or try different distros. I would say you need 40GB of your 60GB for "/home" and the rest "/"

 

[psheldon]

Re-install is the best way to go but have a look at dd (disk copy)
cbrunsdonza, I have Gentoo on a 40GB drive with home on another drive and I am running out of space on / only have 5 GB's left.
(thinks to self move var?)

 

[ponder]

cbrunsdonza, I have Gentoo on a 40GB drive with home on another drive and I am running out of space on / only have 5 GB's left.
(thinks to self move var?)

How do you manage that? 40GB :wtf:

 

[milomak]

rsync has a way of doing this. I can't remember the exact settings. But I have once or twice used it to backup a total environment, wipe and "reinstall".

However iirc you will still need to change:
/etc/fstab
/boot/grub/<grub file depending on version>

what is likely to happen is that your relative paths (/dev/sdax) or UUIDs will change. But iirc fstab and grub are the two major things that specifically mention partitions.

 

[Seeyou]

Thanks guys, eventually came right. Ended up using rsync to copy the files across - edited fstab manually and put in the UUID of the new drive, booted into the Ubuntu LiveCD and reconfigured/reinstalled GRUB2, and all came right. Thanks for the help!

 

[VonPickle]

Nice work. For interest sake, you could look at RemasterSys, it allows you to create a LiveCD of a running Debian system. I've used it to distribute Mint here at work.