Backing up MorphOS?

[Fingers]

I'm looking for an easy way to back up my MorphOS installation/settings incase of HDD failure.

The following procedures (yet to be tested by myself) are loosely based on the way I back up my real Amigas & I'd like to know if you guys think it would work for MorphOS:

Efika version;
1: Save all files from MorphOS partition to folder on an external device (USB drive, HDD, whatever).
2: When back up files are needed for new/reformatted HDD go to step "3".
3: Place folder containing these files onto USB drive along with install.img.
4: Run install.img & then after formatting HDD, dump these files out of folder & onto the MorphOS partition.
(possible need to run full install & then dump/replace files to MorphOS partition under the install.img environment due to hidden boot partition requirement?)

Mac Mini version;
1: As per Efika version above.
2: When back up files are needed for new/reformatted HDD go to step "3".
3: Place folder containing these files onto USB drive or similar.
4: Run install CD & then after formatting HDD, dump these files out of folder & onto the MorphOS partition.
(possible need to run full install & then dump/replace files to MorphOS partition under the CD installer environment for reasons as stated in Efika version above?)

Please advise & thanks heaps

PZ.

[Fingers]

(possible need to run full install & then dump/replace files to MorphOS partition under the install.img environment due to hidden boot partition requirement?)

Just to try clarify what I mean here.
If memory serves me correctly, there is a really small (unseen when loaded) partition created when installing that makes MorphOS boot (maybe it points at the boot.img file on the main partition?).
Obviously, if using a new HDD, this partition would not exist.
So, you'd need to run a full install to create it & install the required files.
BUT, then replace all created files on the "MorphOS" partition with back up files, hopefully resulting in a "clone" of old settings, etc.

Am I correct?

PZ.

[jj]

You could always create the partion yourself and just copy the boot.img ?

[Fingers]

You could always create the partion yourself and just copy the boot.img ?

Yeah, but I'm too dumb to even know what to put where in that case...in fact I'm only guessing at what I think you are saying...really!

PZ.

[jj]

Just beacuse you don't how to do something or the Answer to something does not make you dumb.  There are no stupid questions only stupid answers.

[Iggy]

Just beacuse you don't how to do something or the Answer to something does not make you dumb.  There are no stupid questions only stupid answers.

Yes, I'd second that. I've been using computers since the Seventies, and I'm a MorphOS user, but I haven't considered backup myself either (yet).
If you can't get an aswer here, try MorphZone. They have a lot of knowledgable posters and more than a few developers willing to offer assistance.
I'd love to hear about the best solutions to this question myself.

[zylesea]

Just to try clarify what I mean here.
If memory serves me correctly, there is a really small (unseen when loaded) partition created when installing that makes MorphOS boot (maybe it points at the boot.img file on the main partition?).
Obviously, if using a new HDD, this partition would not exist.
So, you'd need to run a full install to create it & install the required files.
BUT, then replace all created files on the "MorphOS" partition with back up files, hopefully resulting in a "clone" of old settings, etc.

Am I correct?

PZ.

You don't need to run a full install, but it may be handy to boot up MorphOS from CD and use the hd toolbox to partitition your hdd.
In case of a Mac you need a (small, say 60 MB) partitition with the filesystem hfs and put in the boot.img there. Then you need at least one other partitition where you can put your other files.
On efika you don't need a dedicated partitition for the boot.img, since the OF can handle sfs partititions.
Top restore you installation on Efika you are able to boot off directly from the usb stick that holds your backup. Once booted up just copy all files over to the new hdd - done.
On Mac I think you need a CD containing at least the the boot.img from which you boot off (AFAIK the firmware of the Mac does not init the usb mass storage devices). But if you load the boot.img from CD you can pass the usb drive containing your update files as boot parameter and boot the actual system from usb.
Just copy boot.img to the hfs paritition and the rest of your backup to your according partititions.

[Boot_WB]

Just to clarify, the partition in which boot.img resides does not contain any configuration variables or any 'personalised' data relating to your installation.

If you're just asking 'What do I need to back up in order to restore all my settings and programs in case I need to re-install' then the answer is 1) Your system partition, and 2) Any other partitions containing programs which are used by mimetypes.

You could then re-install from the CD and copy/overwrite these to the new installation. Upon reboot your original 'backed-up' system would be fully functional again (just like a 68K Amiga).

Regards



Rich

[Fingers]

Beautiful, thanks guys!

PZ.

[kolla]

I would suggest using BRU ofcourse