[PLUG] Copying ext2 data partitions

["Michael F. Robbins" <mike@gamerack.com>]

As I prepare to install Debian in the production setting (see earlier
msesages :-), I plan to backup all my /home and other critical files to
another partition, one that will not be used (immediately) by Debian.

My current plan is:
(BOOT FROM tomsrtbt OR SIMILAR)
mkdir /mnt/backup
mkdir /mnt/home
mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/home
mount /dev/hdb1 /mnt/backup
cp -a /mnt/home /mnt/backup/

The core part of this being the "-a" option of cp.  "-a" is the same as
"-dpR", which is:
* Don't dereference symlinks, and dont follow them.  Just copy symlinks
as symlinks.
* "preserve file attributes if possible"
* and recurse

It is VERY important that permissions and structure get preserved... 
The man page says "if possible", any hints on that?  (Will I get errors
if it for some reason CANT preserve permissions on a particular file? I
doubt it.)  So is there an option I'm missing, or is there a better way
to do this alltogether?

Counting down to production Debian install...
Mike


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