Backup / Image of Linux Drive

visitek · 01-18-2008, 03:17 PM

I am using debian (without x) and I need a script that can be added to cron.weekly which will do a backup to an NTFS formatted drive

Can anyone tell me where I can find one or how to write it

Thanks - much appreciated

Ian

hal8000 · 01-21-2008, 04:03 PM

Do a backup to an NTFS drive from what? another NTFS system or a linux partition?
If its a linux partition backup you want to be writing to a linux filesystem not NTFS.
You need to post what data and filesystem type you are wanting to backup before anyone can
answer.

visitek · 01-22-2008, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hal8000

Do a backup to an NTFS drive from what? another NTFS system or a linux partition?
If its a linux partition backup you want to be writing to a linux filesystem not NTFS.
You need to post what data and filesystem type you are wanting to backup before anyone can
answer.

From a linux partition to a removable hard drive with an NTFS partition on. [ From a linux box (so that it can be read by a windows machine) ]

For a backup (of data) that can be read on a windows machine, without the (unsigned int limitation) file size > 4294967295 bytes issue [FAT32]. For example compressed backup file over 4.2GB

lensman3 · 01-23-2008, 10:35 AM

If the ntfs is mounted on Linux, just use "tar cvf <tar_filename>.tar <ntfs-mount-point".
This will copy the file system byte-by-byte to the tar. You might want to turn the compression switch on to make the backup smaller. Of course, I am assuming your ntfs file system is mounted under Linux. Take a look at the "star" tar file progam. "Star" is a smarter backup utility.

Of course, if you have to backup your ntfs you will have to mount it first under Linux AND if you restore it to a Windows machine you will NEVER be able to boot from it again. (Unless you reset the boot sectors and links again.)

If you want to be able to boot from the ntfs disk, take a look at the "dd" command. It will raw-read bytes from the disk to the backup file. Your will have to test this. I don't know if you run "dd" to a save file and then use "dd" to write the backup disk to the raw hard disk that you can even boot from it. "dd" will copy good and bad sectors to/from the hard drive.

01-18-2008, 03:17 PM	#1 (permalink)
visitek Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 4 OS: SBS 2003	Backup / Image of Linux Drive I am using debian (without x) and I need a script that can be added to cron.weekly which will do a backup to an NTFS formatted drive Can anyone tell me where I can find one or how to write it Thanks - much appreciated Ian

01-21-2008, 04:03 PM	#2 (permalink)
hal8000 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: UK Posts: 229 OS: PCLinux2009/Ubuntu/XP	Re: Backup / Image of Linux Drive Do a backup to an NTFS drive from what? another NTFS system or a linux partition? If its a linux partition backup you want to be writing to a linux filesystem not NTFS. You need to post what data and filesystem type you are wanting to backup before anyone can answer.

01-23-2008, 10:35 AM	#4 (permalink)
lensman3 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Littleton, Colorado USA Posts: 470 OS: xp 64 sp2 Fedora Core 8 (vmware xp core 8 x32) Minix	Re: Backup / Image of Linux Drive If the ntfs is mounted on Linux, just use "tar cvf <tar_filename>.tar <ntfs-mount-point". This will copy the file system byte-by-byte to the tar. You might want to turn the compression switch on to make the backup smaller. Of course, I am assuming your ntfs file system is mounted under Linux. Take a look at the "star" tar file progam. "Star" is a smarter backup utility. Of course, if you have to backup your ntfs you will have to mount it first under Linux AND if you restore it to a Windows machine you will NEVER be able to boot from it again. (Unless you reset the boot sectors and links again.) If you want to be able to boot from the ntfs disk, take a look at the "dd" command. It will raw-read bytes from the disk to the backup file. Your will have to test this. I don't know if you run "dd" to a save file and then use "dd" to write the backup disk to the raw hard disk that you can even boot from it. "dd" will copy good and bad sectors to/from the hard drive.