Better yet: rsync -av --progress --delete --checksum /home/stormy/ /somewhere You will most likely not need --delete, but --checksum will fully verify the integrity of the copy. ET kitepilot@kitepilot.com writes: > Betty: >>> stormy@stormy-desktop:~$ sudo dd if=/home/stormy of=/dev/sdc1 bs=1024k >>> dd: reading `/home/stormy': Is a directory > > What saved your bacon here is that dd will not read a directory, and it is > NOT meant for what you want to do. > > My (FREE) advice: > Do NOT ever use sudo (or root privileges) unless you *REALLY KNOW* what you > are doing. > > You would have destroyed /dev/sdc1 if that had worked (although irrelevant > in this case). > You will need to "mount" /dev/sdc1 to a directory for rsync or cp to do its > job. > > cp is a cantankerous "mirror-er", rsync will do better and the syntax is > pretty similar. > > What you need to do: > sudo mount -text3 /dev/sdc1 /somewhere > rsync -av --progress --delete /home/stormy/ /somewhere > Go get a pizza... :) > BE CAREFUL with the SLASH (/) at the end of /home/stormy > As it is, it means "copy everything INSIDE /home/stormy to /somewhere" > Without it, it means "copy /home/stormy (the directory) to /somewhere" > > If you need a "taylor made" command you can: > a) send me the information of your partitions and directories or, > b) grant me access to your putter and I'll walk you through. > ET > > PS: Do NOT ever use sudo (or root privileges) unless you *REALLY KNOW* what > you are doing. > :) > > > > > > Eric Shubert writes: > >> Betty, >> Please use the rsync command as Ed stated. >> rsync (with the -a option in particular) takes care of some "gotchas" >> that the cp command can sometimes produce if you don't remember how to >> use it just right. >> >> betty wrote: >>> i'm sure i know less than you, the advice was to use dd. is one better >>> than the other?? i'm willing to use whatever will work to copy my home >>> dir to the new computer so that all my settings are the same. >>> >>> what would be the command for cp? >>> thx >>> betty i >>> >>> Eric Cope wrote: >>>> please excuse my ignorance, why would cp -r not work? >>>> Eric >>>> >>>> On Tue, Dec 29, 2009 at 9:33 PM, betty >>> > wrote: >>>> >>>> I installed the new drive into the new computer. I'm going to transfer >>>> the home directory to a usb drive and then to the new computer. >>>> This is the command i tried and the result i got. >>>> >>>> stormy@stormy-desktop:~$ sudo dd if=/home/stormy of=/dev/sdc1 >>>> bs=1024k >>>> [sudo] password for stormy: >>>> dd: reading `/home/stormy': Is a directory >>>> 0+0 records in >>>> 0+0 records out >>>> 0 bytes (0 B) copied, 0.000942499 s, 0.0 kB/s >>>> stormy@stormy-desktop:~$ >>>> >>>> What is wrong there? i am such an idiot on command line stuff. aghhh. >>>> Thanks. >>>> betty i. >>>> >>>> Joseph Sinclair wrote: >>>> > First, I'd definitely recommend going with a new SATA drive on >>>> the new machine. You'll find everything just works better and the >>>> added reliability of a newer drive makes for a lot less stress >>>> (although regular and frequent backups are definitely the best >>>> peace-of-mind tool). >>>> > >>>> > For the data transfer there are 3 simple options: >>>> > 1) If you have, or can borrow, a large enough USB drive (flash >>>> or HDD), I'd copy everything (I prefer rsync, but dd is a good >>>> choice too) to the USB drive, then copy from that to the new computer. >>>> > 2) Temporarily install the old drive in the new machine on the >>>> ATA (CDROM) interface (if the new machine has an old-style ATA >>>> interface for the CD drives), and copy the data from one drive to >>>> the other (definitely use rsync here). >>>> > 3) Connect the two machines to an ethernet router/hub and use >>>> rsync to transfer the files over the ethernet connection. >>>> > >>>> > However you end up doing the transfer, I'd definitely recommend >>>> retaining a separate backup of all of your personal data >>>> (pictures, documents, music, videos, etc...) as part of the >>>> process, if at all possible. >>>> > >>>> -- >>>> betty i. >>>> www.webcanine.com >>>> information for people >>>> who care for dogs. >>>> >>>> --------------------------------------------------- >>>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us >>>> >>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>>> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Eric Cope >>>> http://cope-et-al.com >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> -Eric 'shubes' >> >> --------------------------------------------------- >> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss