Best way to make multiple copies of my TC setup?

[Paulo]

Hi all

What would be the best way to make multiple copies of my TC I have on a USB stick?
This includes making the stick bootable.

Thanks.

[Lee]

If the sticks are identical, you could just "dd" one onto the other.  Be aware that this can lead to confusion whenever the two sticks are present on the same machine (as will be the case immediately after the copy is made) since the cloned file system will have the same label and UUID as the original.

This will work even if the sticks are not identical, as long as the destination stick is at least as large as the source, but you may end up with some wasted capacity on the destination stick if it is larger.

Personally, I'd be tempted to just make a scripted installation (creating a new filesystem with unique UUID) and then copy over the tce directory (including mydata.tgz).

[Paulo]

Hi Lee
Thanks for your response.

If the sticks are identical, you could just "dd" one onto the other. 
........
This will work even if the sticks are not identical, as long as the destination stick is at least as large as the source, but you may end up with some wasted capacity on the destination stick if it is larger.

Not a problem if the rest of the stick is wasted.

Be aware that this can lead to confusion whenever the two sticks are present on the same machine (as will be the case immediately after the copy is made) since the cloned file system will have the same label and UUID as the original.

Good point.
Perhaps the best way is to do it under Windows (DD is available for Windows)?

Personally, I'd be tempted to just make a scripted installation (creating a new filesystem with unique UUID) and then copy over the tce directory (including mydata.tgz).

Another possibility, but would it not take longer?

[Lee]

Quote from: Lee on Today at 12:33:45

    Be aware that this can lead to confusion whenever the two sticks are present on the same machine (as will be the case immediately after the copy is made) since the cloned file system will have the same label and UUID as the original.

Good point.
Perhaps the best way is to do it under Windows (DD is available for Windows)?

I try to stay away from doing stuff like that on windows , though I'm sure there is some kind of dd or "rawwrite" available for Windows.  The confusion is not functional problem with the system, just something to be aware of if you are going to make any kind of changes to the copy once it has been made - you probably don't want to change the original instead.


The scripted solution would probably take longer, but if the script is done carefully it probably wouldn't be very much longer... maybe worth a few extra seconds depending on how many copies you will be making.  Ten extra seconds each for six copies is only an extra minute  but at six thousand copies it would be more inconvenient.

I'm only ever making one or,  rarely, two copies at a time so I currently don't even use a script for the whole process.

[Paulo]

I try to stay away from doing stuff like that on windows , though I'm sure there is some kind of dd or "rawwrite" available for Windows.  The confusion is not functional problem with the system, just something to be aware of if you are going to make any kind of changes to the copy once it has been made - you probably don't want to change the original instead.

OK, understood.
By Windows, I meant XP which is not too bad when compared to newer versions, but that is for another thread. 

The scripted solution would probably take longer, but if the script is done carefully it probably wouldn't be very much longer... maybe worth a few extra seconds depending on how many copies you will be making.  Ten extra seconds each for six copies is only an extra minute  but at six thousand copies it would be more inconvenient.

I'm only ever making one or,  rarely, two copies at a time so I currently don't even use a script for the whole process.

I will investigate using a script and see the time taken.
I estimate that I will need to make about 30 copies at a time.