image backup

[htkatch]

I am attempting to make a backup of my current image so that I have a "pristine" copy in case I mess up. The problem is that the .img reader shows the copy as much smaller than it is when I copy the .img file from the sd card. What programs work on making the .img backup?

[PlugPBX Admin]

There is no .img file to copy from the card.

The .img file is just a big file, which represents each and every bit of data from the card, including the partition headers etc.

Use whatever application you want, whatever can "READ" the RAW sectors of the card itself, irregardless of the file-system type, is what you want. I have several examples on the website, and any of the tools we make example of that can WRITE the image we provide to the SD card, can be used in reverse to READ the contents from an existing SD card and render them to a file on your computer, which you can name however you want - most will append the .img extension to note its a 'image' of the raw device.

TIP: When you are going to 'image' your pristine card, FLIP the Write protect tab on "ON" so if you screw up imaging (write instead of read by accident) you can't fat-thumb your image into Bit-heaven, will save you from your own silly mistakes.

TIP BONUS: Don't forget when you've done and finished, to turn the write-protect tab OFF again on the SD card before booting from it

[htkatch]

I used Roadkil disk imager to copy the current card and copy to a new card. I then inserted the card into the sheevaplug and the plugpbx would not boot. Is there anything else that I am supposed to do to get it to boot ?

[PlugPBX Admin]

If the SheevaPlug already boots, then one must assume your image copy card is not imaged correctly, if it boots from the original fine.

Since you've correctly imaged from the card Image I've provided, then I have to assume you've copied your working card wrongly, or the image writing to the new card went wrong.

Perhaps Try and zero out the card you are imaging to prior. Same brand/make?  Provide a serial console dump of the boot process?

I have insufficient data otherwise to assist further.

Need much more details and data  

[twinclouds]

The best way to back-up image for me is using Acronis True Image on my PC.  It has some compressing and can do incremental backup as well.  The most convenient feature is that if you want to transfer to another device, you don't have to have an equal or larger partition then the original.  At least it works very well on my USB drives.  It should work with SD card as well.

[PlugPBX Admin]

Does Acronis understand/support the Ext3 file system?

[mattmc97]

Use win32diskimager to do the imaging, assuming your on windows.

https://launchpad.net/win32-image-writer

Very easy to use. Put your SD Card in you want to copy, click the folder make a new file name, my_disk_image.img, then click READ, which will Read the disk and write to the file.  Don't click WRITE, as it will OVERWRITE the card.

[twinclouds]

Use win32diskimager to do the imaging, assuming your on windows.

https://launchpad.net/win32-image-writer

Very easy to use. Put your SD Card in you want to copy, click the folder make a new file name, my_disk_image.img, then click READ, which will Read the disk and write to the file.  Don't click WRITE, as it will OVERWRITE the card.

Will it work if you want to restore to a new card with a partition that is smaller than the original one?