Image backup of Fedora 13

[Faded_Mantis]

I've been using debian based distros almost exclusively for years now. I was looking for a distro to install on my old laptop because I've just removed windows from it. Since the most recent snapshot of sidux is from the last part of 2009, I decided that now would be a perfect chance to try out a few other distros.

Fedora 13 KDE was one that I'm trying. I'm having a bit of trouble getting used to not having apt-get, and the different file structure etc, but other than that it seems like a nice distro.

To try and remove some of the bias I may have when testing the non-debian based distros (ie frustration at not being able to do things like I used to), I'm going to use them for a few weeks each. As you can imagine, in those 3 weeks I'm going to have downloaded a fair amount of updates and programmes. I would therefore like to make an image of the OSes that are candidates to keep.

Is there a programme that anyone recommends to make an image of Fedora 13 KDE?

[nujinini]

I would therefore like to make an image of the ones that are candidates to keep.

Is there a programme that anyone recommends to make an image of Fedora 13 KDE?

Hi!

Do you mean an ISO image? I think you can download one from here.

You might also want to consider mulibooting your HD.

Eventually you can delete the OS that you feel you don't need and leave perhaps your top 3 or 4 choices. Just a suggestion

But I guess that's a complicated route

Enjoy the hunt!

[Faded_Mantis]

Nujinini - Thanks for the reply. Yes I do mean something like a .iso, however I was thinking more of an identical copy/backup of the OS at the point when I've decided "ok that's enough time to have tested this one, lets try the next one now". Not a fresh .iso. The reason for this is because in the few weeks that I will spend testing each OS, I will have invested both time and bandwidth (capped connection) into customising each install with programmes and updates. I don't want to have to do this again to whatever distro I want to keep.

Atm Fedora 13 is about to go on the short list, an image of it at the point before I format to try the next distro would be useful.

Dual/multi booting is a good idea. I actually hadn't thought of this. I only have Mepis and sidux (my favourite to run on my desktop) left to test. I could install them as a dual boot. If I resize the partition that Fedora is currently on, would mepis and sidux be able to use the same swap partition, or do I need to make one of these for each distro? I've only ever dual booted Windows+Linux before, not Linux+Linux...+Linux

[coopstah13]

Clonezilla

this can take plain image backup, and also create iso image

[oz]

I've personally used Clonezilla, FSArchiver, Ghost4Linux, and PartImage, and they all worked fine. You might find the first two to be a bit more complex than the others, but they all do system images very well, depending on what you need and your circumstances.

Edit: just wanted to add that you can find one or more of those on the Parted Magic LiveCD if you want to try them, and I think Clonezilla is included on the current testing version of Parted Magic.

[impert]

One of the new features of Fedora 13 is the possibility to rollback if you're using btrfs.
But I'd go along with the suggestion to multiboot - it's not hard and it has a lot of advantages.

[Faded_Mantis]

Thanks for the recommendations guys. I prefer to pick programmes from recommendations, rather than looking at list of programmes.

Impert - I'm using ext4. And I will be going the multiboot path if I none of the imaging programmes can make a CD sized image (CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive). Since I've added things like open office, I might have to remove some other programmes to get my sizes down.

[impert]

I will be going the multiboot path if I none of the imaging programmes can make a CD sized image

The great advantage of having a number of Linux OS's on the same box is you can't stuff them all up simultaneously, and you can use one to mount the others and tinker with them. (Oops! it probably IS possible to stuff them all almost simultaneously - but you'd really have to be trying.)
I think it's better than backing up the system because you've always got a working system, set up at your leisure the way you want it.
Keep all your stuff in a data directory accessible from all OS's; (note that you must have the same user name and no owning this directory). You can replace files and folders in your home folder by links to this directory: this includes config files & folders like .mozilla, .evolution etc
If you have OS's on two different HDs and back up the data folder to the other HD, it's pretty bulletproof.
Apart from all that, multibooting is a great way to learn.
Sorry to bend your ear with all this - it's a hobbyhorse of mine.