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Re: [OCLUG-Tech] Copy of Server

Kyle McMartin wrote:
> One solution would be to 'label' the partitions using e2label

Yes, that works nicely for the e2fs partitions; but, not for swap.
(Nor does it work for partitions that aren't e2fs or xfs, apparently.)

I suppose I can come up without any swap and have a script figure it
out and add it dynamically based on the other mounted partitions; but,
I'd sure like not to have to write custom software to do this.

Andrew pointed out that I could work around it by using swap files
instead of a swap partition.

> The root partition can be mounted by using /dev/root in place of the
> device name to get it properly named from the kernel command line.

In place of the device name where?  On the kernel command line?  How does
that work?  If I create a GRUB menu using root=/dev/root, how does it
know to translate that to root=/dev/hdX3 for some X?

Or are you saying instead of using LABEL= for the root in fstab, I
should use /dev/root in the fstab and then use root=/dev/root on the
kernel command line?  Or ... ?

I'm surprised that boot technology hasn't advanced to the point where one
can boot Linux from any partition without editing something.  We've had
"position independent code" for years; all I want is a "partition
independent boot"!

-- 
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