Disk replacement

[Alan Dayley]

On Tuesday 11 February 2003 06:06 pm, Scott wrote:
> I have a dilemma...
>
> I have a system (at work) that has a disk that is failing.  I obtained
> another disk to replace it with but have run in to issues...
>
> The original disk is 4g and has the following mount points:
>
> /
> /usr
> /var
> /tmp
> /opt
> swap (not really a mount point - but it is space used)
>
> The new disk is 20g.  I hooked it up, created the (larger) partitions, =
did
> a mkfs (mkswap for swap), created anchor points (/newroot, /newusr, etc=
)
> and mounted the partitions.  I then issued the following command:
>
> dump -0f - / | (cd /newroot; restore -rf - )
>
> The above command was appropriately modified for each mount point.  Whe=
n
> this was done, I fired up grub and issued this command at the grub prom=
pt:
>
> find /boot/grub/stage1
>
> Grub repsonded with (hd0,0) and (hd1,0) (<- this being the new disk)
> I then did:
>
> root (hd1,0)
> setup (hd1)
>
> According to all the docs I could find, grub should now be installed in
> the new disk.  Heres where the problem comes in:  When I attempt to boo=
t
> from the new disk (appropriate cable and jumper changes), all I get is =
the
> work "grub" repeated forever on my screen.
>
> Has anyone replaced a disk in this fashion and have it work?  If so, wh=
at
> did I forget and/or miss?  I am currently at a loss for ideas.
>
> scott

I am not familiar with the dump command and grub is somewhat of a mystery=
 to=20
me so I can't help you there either.

However, I just upgraded my hard drive from 10GB to 20GB using dd and par=
ted. =20
Maybe you could start over and do it that way?  Follow this:

- attach the two hard drives with the new one as slave or on the secondar=
y IDE=20
bus.
- Boot from a rescue floppy or bootable CD
- when you get to a prompt, use the command "dd if=3D/dev/hda of=3D/dev/h=
dd=20
bs=3D512" to dump the original drive to the new drive.  (adjust the /dev/=
hd?=20
value as needed.)
- Wait for it to finish.
- Disconnect the drives and connect the new drive as the master on the pr=
imary=20
IDE bus.
- Boot the computer.  It should boot from the new disk exactly how it boo=
ted=20
from the old disk.  It will have the same partitions, sizes and everythin=
g,=20
as it did before.
- If you don't want to just make new partitions and mount points in all t=
hat=20
unused space, you will have to use parted to resize and/or move the=20
partitions you have.

I was able to use parted without actually using the manual but I probably=
=20
would have had an easier time if I had read the manual first.  I resized =
the=20
Windows 98 partition and gave the majority of the new space to the Linux=20
partitions.  Worked fine!  And, I still don't fully understand grub.

BTW, it goes without saying but I am going to say it anyway: Make sure yo=
u=20
have backups of anything you don't want to loose!

Alan