Cloning Question

brent

Question: can you clone an operating system from /dev/sdb and clone it next to an existing operating system on /dev/sda two have two functioning operating systems.

The internet cannot answer this question. I used Clonezilla but it only goes from one disk to new erase disk. Parted speclializes paritions. Fedora is busted up in 4 partitions for every user: /boot bios /boot efi, /root, and /home.

So that's two tools that don't work for my situation. How do I get the 4 partitions of functioning operating system B and clone them next to an already functioning operating system A thus resulting in a dual boot/same disk.

I'm giving the 4.3 Budgie ISO it's own disk. The disk I want has Fedora Budgie on it and I don't want to lose the last 3 months of work. Or Fedora Budgie at this moment. And NO, it is not possible to install Solus next to Fedora (that's well-covered territory🙂)

I know I can give Fedora Budgie a new disk. But instead can I put it next to another OS. If yes, then how?
[Elvis voice]: thank you very much

Brucehankins

brent a couple of questions.

Do you have another drive ready to clone to?
Have you already set up another partition that is /dev/sda?
Are you trying to reduce the size of /dev/sdb to create a /dev/sdb and /dev/sda and then clone the OS?

If option 1 or 2, you can simply restore from a full system backup. You could try cloning with dd or partimage.
Or if you're feeling really adventurous, you could spin your own custom installable .ISO from your current Fedora install.

[deleted]

brent I think it's just a matter of correcting UUIDs on fstab, crypttab and bootloader. I haven't done that personally, only switched file systems by cloning.

brent

Brucehankins
thanks for the reply
1) I have a drive ready to clone to. It has an operating system on it and a lot of free space. I want to keep the operating system and clone another one next to it
2)no. I don't know if its like a linux distro where I make my own partitions or a clone program does it
3) one the target disk I'd like to have new sda5678 next to existing sda1234 living in harmony. and freeing up the seperate sdb HDD for solus to run by itself

lemme know if I'm unclear. thank you again

Brucehankins

brent resizing and modifying partitions is not in my wheelhouse. I do know that you would want part 5/6/7 to be side by side. They could potentially share a dedicated /EFI partition, but your had to install the bootloader separately.
If I were trying to do this without any data loss, I'd set up the partitions first, then manually copy the associated files to the new partitions. I've only had success once resizing partitions or creating new on a disk with an installed OS.

Axios

brent Now thats something I have never tried I sure would want a backup of everything!!
before I even tried it.
I can think of only one program that might do it but I run it from windows PE disk I know it Images and restores Linux properly
Have restored to single disk with it but nothing like you are wanting
Never have seen that function with the dozens of imaging programs I have tested cloning wont do I think for sure.
It would have to shrink existing partion and save it then restore an image to the freespace

brent

Brucehankins I'd set up the partitions first, then manually copy the associated files to the new partitions. I've only had success once resizing partitions or creating new on a disk with an installed OS.

if I set up the partitions the way I like them then I'd have to trusted the software (clonezilla, parted) to install clone that way and I've not seen these functions in the software. may dd? will have to read

Axios Never have seen that function with the dozens of imaging programs I have tested cloning wont do I think for sure.
It would have to shrink existing partion and save it then restore an image to the freespace

Exactly! What's the use of these lame clone programs if you have to do it their way? (which is only one OS allowed to a disk). Why cant we do it my way? I bet with enough time and ingenuity the right terminal programs/commands could make this real.

Just being lazy. Set up Fedora proper on one disk and fedora budgie on another disk and for 3 long months during the Great Solus Outage (GSO) of '23 I worked on them/and did me work. They are workstations. I have to pick one to erase. Sounds like an old testament parable....

.....still having trust issues with budgie so don't know whether I should put Mate back on or Budgie. or go the dark side (:😉)and just seize Plasma. My anxiety will only be tempered with a first lager. I shall return.

kaktuspalme

[deleted] I have done exactly that, and yes that's it, changing UUID and it works.

I accidentally forgot to change UUIDs one time and then partition which appeared first with that specific UUID was mounted first.

viyoriya

[deleted] if you use grub update the grub.cfg with UUID's too

brent

: [deleted] : kaktuspalme : viyoriya thanks for the tips. the old UUID shuffle way over my intellect.

Bit the bullet and paved over the distro instead of cloning. MODS: kindly mark Solved. thank you.