Best way to backup live TCL thumbdrives .........

[hitsware]

 I tried just copying all the files and the clones wouldn't boot ...
Some kind of 'iso' maker ?

[Rich]

Hi hitsware
You could use the tc-install.tcz utility on the new thumb drive. That will make it boot-able. Then delete the files
and directories on it. Finally, copy the contents of the drive you wish to duplicate. Once you have done that,
future backups are just a matter of copying files. If you have a CD, it has the install utility on it, and you can
just boot and run tc-install from that.

[hitsware]

Thanks Rich,
I'm starting over since I accidently copied my working
USB stick back onto itself rendering it unbootable.
I don't have the CD.

I now have a bootable 'current' version on the stick.
I used XP, Core2Usb, and the downloaded iso

After I add my extentions, is there a way to make
an iso of the resultant stick ?
Will Core2Usb then install that on a new stick ?
Or am I missing some simpler approach ?
I don't quite understand your answer above.

[Rich]

Hi hitsware
OK, try this:
1. Boot from your thumb drive
2. Plug in the destination thumb drive and mount it.
3. dd if=/mnt/BootedThumbDrive of=/mnt/DestinationThumbDrive bs=512 conv=fsync
4. Wait for it to finish.
The thumb drives should be the same size.

[hitsware]

> 1. Boot from your thumb drive

> 2. Plug in the destination thumb drive and mount it.

Leave the drive I booted from in ?

> 3. dd if=/mnt/BootedThumbDrive of=DestinationThumbDrive bs=512 conv=fsync

(in terminal ?) ' dd if=/mnt/sdb1 of=sdc1 bs=512 conv=fsync '

> 4. Wait for it to finish.
> The thumb drives should be the same size.

[Rich]

Hi hitsware
Yes, leave the drive you booted from in, that's where the  dd  command will be copying from.
Yes, execute the command from a terminal.

[hitsware]

Didn't work ............ I got a help-screen describing the process but not the process ....
Unless that's what you knew I'd get ? ........

[Rich]

Hi hitsware
No, I didn't expect you to see a help message. I don't have any spare thumb drives to try this myself, so bear
with me. Try this for step three instead:

Code: [Select]

dd if=/mnt/BootedThumbDrive of=/mnt/DestinationThumbDrive bs=512 skip=0 seek=0
sync

[tinypoodle]

Your of= path is incomplete!

[Rich]

Hi tinypoodle
Doh!  I read the command he posted and missed that little detail, though it wasn't his fault, it was mine. The
examples I posted omitted  /mnt  in the  of=  field. I will correct my previous posts.

[tinypoodle]

Note that path errors with dd could potentially lead to significant data loss disaster.

[Rich]

Hi tinypoodle
Absolutely correct. That's why I originally  suggested the somewhat round about way of using the tc-install utility.
I don't like offering the  dd  command for that very reason, but since he had trouble understanding my first
suggestion, I decided to take a chance.

[hitsware]

Is there a wiki article or something ?
Seems it would be a common procedure.
I'm having a problem finding a Windows isomaker
even though I thought I had one (but tossed it)
I'd rather do it from TCL for the practice though.
Can I download the tc-install and proceed without
the CD ?

[Rich]

Hi hitsware

Can I download the tc-install and proceed without the CD ?

Yes you can.

[hitsware]

OK
I used

dd if=/dev/sdb1  of=/dev/sdc1

It worked even though I aborted after it ran and ran
I just need to learn how to limit the bytes ...........