No true Linux version of Image Drive cloning software?

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Taslimdal
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2020 5:52 pm

No true Linux version of Image Drive cloning software?

Post by Taslimdal »

Why is there no true version of the Image Hard Drive cloning software, one that runs inside of whatever Distro one is running on their PC like the Windows version that runs as a program in Windows. Booting from a USB Jump Drive or CD is Not the same as launching a program inside a certain version of Linux, it's just using a emergency boot USB drive or CD that runs a special version of Linux and than running the Image App. Why can't I run Image inside of Linux Mint or MATE or some other version of Linux. Why can't I schedule a complete backup of my system or run clone of it to a image file on an external drive without having to boot from a Flash Drive and then manually cloning my system?

Thanks
Brian K
Posts: 2214
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:11 am
Location: NSW, Australia

Re: No true Linux version of Image Drive cloning software?

Post by Brian K »

IFL can be installed into a Linux OS.
Bob Coleman
Posts: 785
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2011 5:58 pm

Re: No true Linux version of Image Drive cloning software?

Post by Bob Coleman »

Brian K wrote:
> IFL can be installed into a Linux OS.

But can it be safely used to image the system it's installed into? (My impression is "no", but I don't use Linux).
Brian K
Posts: 2214
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:11 am
Location: NSW, Australia

Re: No true Linux version of Image Drive cloning software?

Post by Brian K »

Bob Coleman wrote:

> But can it be safely used to image the system it's installed into? (My impression is
> "no", but I don't use Linux).

If you can unmount that partition then you can use IFL to create a backup.
TeraByte Support
Posts: 3598
Joined: Thu May 05, 2011 10:37 pm

Re: No true Linux version of Image Drive cloning software?

Post by TeraByte Support »

If you use LVM you can create a snapshot and back up the snapshot. Some
people do that (backup the created lvm snapshot device), we haven't
setup any howto's though.

Also, you can backup in Linux only you shouldn't backup mounted
partitions unless mounted read-only or things could be inconsistent.

Reason is that Linux hasn't provided a VSS or PHYLock type interface to
do it. We could adapt PHYLock method for Linux. It would be fairly
straightforward although Linux doesn't use a layered interface though a
single device name so you'd have a new device name that everything would
have to be mounted through. Frankly we are waiting for Linux (meaning
for it to come standard) to do it. I sure as soon as we do it there
would be a copycat version out. Since there are other things that need
more attention right now and waiting for Linux to add it, we haven't
created anything. Maybe if they still can't come up with something by
2021, we'll add it first half of 2021.

FYI, You can use the grub method to automate the backups at night.

On 4/24/2020 3:48 PM, Taslimdal wrote:
> Why is there no true version of the Image Hard Drive cloning software, one that runs inside of whatever Distro one is running on their PC like the Windows version that runs as a program in Windows. Booting from a USB Jump Drive or CD is Not the same as launching a program inside a certain version of Linux, it's just using a emergency boot USB drive or CD that runs a special version of Linux and than running the Image App. Why can't I run Image inside of Linux Mint or MATE or some other version of Linux. Why can't I schedule a complete backup of my system or run clone of it to a image file on an external drive without having to boot from a Flash Drive and then manually cloning my system?
>
> Thanks
>
>

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