Well I have to disagree - sort of On Tue, 2007-02-27 at 17:35 -0500, Bill Strosberg wrote: > > I think some of the comments about just saving data and then rebuild > > the OS are a little bit inconsiderate of total newbies like myself. > > Not very encouraging to for people to in fact use Linux OS. > Actually Eric, folks were being very considerate of you and other newbies. > > Linux and Unix in general is quite good at separating programs from > data, so your data is portable in a way that you may not yet > appreciate. Much data in the Windows world is critically tied to > specific applications and versions of applications in inextricable and > convoluted ways, hence the need to re-establish EVERYTHING in exactly > the same way it was prior to a disaster. I completely understand the > mindset that the Windows operating system, programs, service packs and > patches need to be applied exactly in the same sequence or the whole > house of cards tumbles into a non-functional mess. > > Linux is generally kinder. Instead of a single huge binary format > "registry" upon which the whole house of cards depends, Linux uses > simple, individual, people-readable text files for configuring > everything (these files reside in /etc). Easily backup-able, easily > duplicated, and each one can't destroy total system function the way the > Windows registry can if it is trashed. > > In Linux, you can install a completely new system, add programs and > restore old data quicker and more reliably than trying to duplicate a > complete functioning Windows system, including all updates and registry > settings. In 15 minutes? That's the longest it ever took me to reinstall Windows from an image. > You've obviously been burned badly by how things work with > what you are used to, but that isn't the case in more mature operating > systems. > > Quite a few of the problems you will encounter while getting used to > Linux are the direct result of trying to apply your experiences with > Windows to solve Linux issues. Unlearning a lot of your Windows > hocus-pocus and necessary ritual sacrifices and Redmond-centric tribal > dances is hard. > > You've obviously learned the most important lesson already - ask > questions! Use the OCLUG list and Google, and I guarantee you will > quickly adapt and things will get easier. Your life will be a lot > easier of you've chosen a distribution like Ubuntu - it makes life very > simple for newbies by installing a sensible desktop system by default. > > Don't worry about bugging the list for questions - unlike Windows, > people here are more than willing to help and spread knowledge. You > don't have to search through 350,000 useless KnowledgeBase articles, you > don't have to navigate voice mail jails, and you don't have to have your > Visa card ready. > > Typically, for desktop purposes, backing up your home directory (i.e > /home/eric) can allow you to move systems without a hitch, even of you > are changing distributions. If you are running server apps like a SQL > database or web servers, you will have to add specific parts of the /var > folders as well. Add the necessary files from /etc, and you do not need > a disk image. > > The problem with backing up complete disk images is that easily > restoring them requires a complete, perfect duplicate of the hardware > your were running prior to the crash - including identical hard disk(s), > network cards, sound, video and other cards etc. Change a few > components and your disk image becomes a real pain in the ... well ... > you know. In the real world you can't buy the same components from the > same store two days in a row, therefore smarter backup strategies are > used in the real world. I can see new hardware causing a problem (perhaps until imaging/reinstalling apps get a lot 'smarter'?). Other than that, I for one would feel a lot more comfortable experimenting with my system if I knew I could get it back to its pre-disaster state in a matter of minutes with an image - as opposed to the relatively longer process available to me now. > > For my money you probably will never get better advice than that from > Bart & Dan - these guys are pros that can run real world class data > centers effectively. > I, for one, appreciate the expert advice available here - it has certainly saved me in the past. Unfortunately, experts sometimes assume that ordinary home users are using systems similar in complexity to their own (using servers etc.) That is not usually the case... I'm tellin' ya, my keyboard could become a proctologist's tool if I have to deal with one more assumption that, of course, I, an ordinary home user, have a separate server set up. Still looking for an easy (Linux) way to create an image (as in Ghost etc.) of my one computer system... be nice if it can do the whole dual-boot setup :-) -m