FreeBSD 11.0-RELEASE-p7 i386 system drive imaging and migration

[Warren Block]

On Sun, 29 Jan 2017, David Christensen wrote:

> As I understand it, taking an image involves:
>
> 1.  Back up the MBR (dd?).

gpart backup ada0

> 2.  Back up the slice 1 partition table (?).

gpart backup ada0s1

> 3.  Back up bootpool file system ('zfs send').
>
> 4.  Back up the swap partition encryption container header (?).

geli.  Easier to just initialize the receiving disk with geli and enter 
the same key.

> 5.  Back up the zroot partition encryption container header (?).

As above.

> 6.  Back up zroot file system ('zfs send').
>
>
> Restoring an image involves:
>
> 1.  Restore MBR ('dd').

gpart restore ada0

> 2.  Restore slice 1 partition table (?).

gpart restore ada0s1


Create encryption, if truly desired, with geli(8).

> 3.  Create bootpool ZFS pool and file system (?).

zpool create

> 4.  Restore bootpool file system ('zfs receive').

> 10. Create zroot ZFS pool and file system (?).

zpool create

> 12. Restore zroot file system ('zfs receive').
>
> These processes are complex enough to warrant automation.  Can Clonezilla 
> handle FreeBSD 11.0 with MBR and encrypted ZFS root?

Clonezilla can handle UFS, last I checked.  ZFS, no, and encryption just 
appears as binary data to anything that lacks geli(8).

> 1.  Putting the original system drive into another computer broke Xfce 
> applications.

Something to do with missing semi-important filesystems, maybe.  Or the 
age of a Pentium D, although that still ought to be supported.  Maybe 
options were selected to optimize for that CPU that are not good in a 
newer one.

> 2.  Everything works as before when the original system drive is put back 
> into original computer (I am typing this message on that system).
>
> 3.  The cloned drive works and has passed Intel SSD Toolbox checks.
>
> 4.  Putting the cloned drive into the original computer broke Xfce 
> applications in exactly the same way.
>
>
> I doubt it's an SSD hardware problem.

Writing SSDs with dd is not good, limiting their wear leveling.