Re: [PLUG] Reinstalling linux

[LeRoy Cressy <lcressy@telocity.com>]

Reinstalling Debian:

1: dpkg --get-selections > filename
	This will save your current list of packages that you have installed on
	your box to a filename of your choice.  Use mcopy to copy the filename
	of your choice to a floppy.  This will be very important when you
reinstall. 

2: Backup: 
	/etc
	/home
	/var/mail
	
	I like to use tar but you can use whatever backup archiving utility you
	choose.  This works great if you have tape, or a cd writer, or
removable
	storage of some kind.  There may be other directories in /var that you 
	might want to save.  Also if you have added any programs like Netscape
	in /usr/local then you should backup /usr/local also.  

	Your note said that you just want to save your mail, but there are
other
 	things that you need to save if you don't want to reconfigure
everything
	all over again.

3: Reinstallation:
	Use the Debian rescue disk to reboot your system
	Install to the point of package selection
	<ALT>F2 to change to a consol
	To keep all of your users the same and their passwords and all of the 
	configuration the same as you had it restore the /etc directory.  At
	this point the /etc directory is at /target/etc
	Assuming that tar and other base install packages have been copied 
	to /target it is safe to chroot to /target
	mount the floppy that has the package selections made in step 1
	dpkg --set-selections < /floppy/filename
		this will set the packages to match the packages that
		were originally installed
	Now you can do an apt-get dselect-upgrade which will follow the 
		packages that have been selected previously.

I may have left out some of the details since I haven't had to do this
for a long time, and the order might not be exactly right but this is
the general idea on how to restore a Debian system.

Naresh Reddy wrote:
> 
> I need to re-install my Debian. And I was wondering how I would back up my
> e-mail? I use pine to read my e-mail, and use exim as my mta.
> 
> Thanks
> Naresh
> 
> http://www.personal.psu.edu/nyg102
> 
> ______________________________________________________________________
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-- 
Rev. LeRoy D. Cressy   mailto:lcressy@telocity.com   /\_/\
                       http://www.netaxs.com/~ldc   ( o.o )
                       Phone:  215-535-4037          > ^ <

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: 
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)


______________________________________________________________________
Philadelphia Linux Users Group       -      http://www.phillylinux.org
Announcements-http://lists.phillylinux.org/mail/listinfo/plug-announce
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