backups & cloning

[Polytropon]

On Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:48:30 -0400, PJ <af.gourmet at videotron.ca> wrote:
> Duh.... I think I see where this is leading... I'm pretty sure it was
> issued from / which makes it redundant, right? I should have issued it
> from somewhere else, like from home, usr or whatever but not from / as
> that is what I was trying to dump.... :-[

The working directory does only matter to the restore command.
The dump command just cares for the partition name. In order
to find out what partition corresponds with which subtree,
check /etc/fstab or run the

	# mount
	/dev/ad0s1a on / (ufs, local)
	/dev/ad0s1d on /tmp (ufs, local, soft-updates)
	/dev/ad0s1e on /var (ufs, local, soft-updates)
	/dev/ad0s1f on /usr (ufs, local, soft-updates)
	/dev/ad0s1g on /export/home (ufs, local, soft-updates)

command, as in the example above.



> Yes... but my brain can't handle it all so quickly... and being as
> impatient as I am, I tend to miss things on the run... it usually comes
> to me sooner or later... unfortunately, it's more often later than
> sooner...

As long as it doesn't damage your data, it's no real problem.



> I've been reading the stuff in the man pages, and getting more
> confused by googling...

FreeBSD has far the best documentation among operating systems
I've come around. The manpages give a good overview, and the
handbook illustrates many daily procedures with examples.



> Actually, I've been trying to get things
> straightened ot for at least 3 days already.

Maybe this "pattern" can help you understanding the "strange
piping dump into restore" command:

	# cd targetdir
	# dump -0 -L -a -u -f - sourcepartition | restore -r -f -

It's not that complicated, but you have to be SURE about certain
things.



> Well, that's why I'm really checking my new disk... but it could be the
> motherboard... I've always suspected it had something of a glitch in it
> ever since I got it... I don't think just a slower cpu should give it so
> many problems... a twin computer has the same hardware except for the
> cpu and it gives far less problems - only MS related.

You should consider checking some basic stuff, such as running
a memtest CD or building world + kernel (just for testing
purposes, load generating, and CPU utilization; GENERIC kernel
will be fine).



> Something about a boot sector - this is not the first time I have seen
> this identical error but on much older hdd's, though still satas.
> This does make me think that these problems are of hardware origin -
> motherboard or sata connectors - I find they are rather Disneyesque
> (Mickey Mouse) or just plain flimsy.

In this case, you should install the smartctl program by running

	# pkg_add -r smartmontools

or installing them via ports by running

	# cd /usr/ports/sysutils/smartmontools
	# make install clean

Then run the

	# smartctl -a da0

command to check the disk. Refer to

	# man smartctl

for other options that can help to identify possible hardware
errors.



> Time to hit the sack... another day of computer frustration coming up...

Doesn't have to be.



> I'm under pressure to lear Flash and have to set up a reliable server to
> test a site I am designing and setting up. Have to do it myself... can't
> afford about anything today. :-(

You're learning things this way, and that's what makes "our" service
so expensive - because "we" know so much. :-)



-- 
Polytropon
Magdeburg, Germany
Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...