I keep getting an error during the backup of my 250GB internal drive to a 32GB USB Flash drive suggesting there is not enough space to complete the backup. There are 2 partitions - 1:20GB 2:226GB - and I am backing up the entire disk for recovery purposes. My question is does the backup drive have to be as large as the target drive? I’ve read this to be true but recall backing up on another Linux box with a 300GB internal drive to one of my 32GB Flash drives and got several backups accomplished.
This situation leads me to believe that maybe I was only backing up the 20GB partition rather than the entire drive but that would go against my general backup procedures for any system and I think I may be remembering incorrectly.
13.1 KDE 32-bit machine (both the laptop and the desktop). Any suggestions? Thanks!
I am not a Clonezilla user, but if that program does what the name suggests to me: Clone the disk (partition), then it seems logical to me that the target must at least be as large as the source. It could be that a compression mechanism is used, in which case I guess that about half the size is needed. But when you have a fresh file system, where all the unused bytes were set to 0 before usage and were there is still not much data stored, I guess that compression will give you a much better result.
And about what you may have done or not in the past, I have no comments.
On 2014-02-07 10:56, hcvv wrote:
>
> I am not a Clonezilla user, but if that program does what the name
> suggests to me: Clone the disk (partition), then it seems logical to me
> that the target must at least be as large as the source. It could be
> that a compression mechanism is used, in which case I guess that about
> half the size is needed. But when you have a fresh file system, where
> all the unused bytes were set to 0 before usage and were there is still
> not much data stored, I guess that compression will give you a much
> better result.
AFAIK, it does have compression, and it skips sectors reported as unused
by the filesystem (it is not a full imaging procedure). Thus a big
source disk/partition scarcely populated with mostly text files may be
backed up to a much smaller destination - but obviously this is not the
general case.
First, how are you running Clonezilla, with what options?
Are you running it off a boot CD or a USB key?
Are you using the option?:
device-image work with disks or partitions using images
If you are using the 2nd option, “device-device”, it will want to do a direct clone and will need an equal or larger device to go to.
Don’t have your backup key plugged in yet (start Clonezilla without the backup key plugged in).
When you get to the next screen, choose the first option, “local_dev”
You will then get a prompt to plug in your backup device. Plug it in, wait a few seconds for Clonezilla to respond with a list, hit enter and continue.
On the next screen, (I’m sure you already know this part), it asks to mount a device for /home/partimage, which of course would be the key you want to back up to. Next screen, it wants to know the directory. I assume you will want the top directory.
On the next screen, choose Expert Mode
On the next screen, you can use:
save-disk Save_local_disk_as_an_image
The next asks for a name (No spaces, remember!).
If this is a vfat key, you want to stick to FAT32 conventions.
Next you choose the drive you want to back up.
Next, use the default suggestion:
-q2 Priority: Partclone > Partimage > dd
Leave it at the default for the next “Advance Extra Parameters”
Stick with -z1 gzip compression (any other, you probably will be waiting an entire day or more to go to a USB key)
Next page is VERY IMPORTANT: Let it split the file. Remember FAT has size limitations. I choose 2200 for the size, as this is easily stored on FAT partitions, and 2 of the files will fit a DVD, if I decide to store a copy there.
You could even stick to 2000 to make sure you have enough spare room when copying it to a DVD in the future.
If you still run into the space problem, then maybe it needs an intermediary place to run (maybe it makes a temp file, then compresses?).
If that is the case, do the same thing as above, only run the backup to your external drive as you mentioned.
The final size should fit on the USB key and can be restored from the key, so if you run it to the external drive, you can then copy it or move it to the key.
It is very likely that I told you a lot of things you already know.
However, I am detailing it out in case there is one step that helps you along, and it will also be a good guide for anyone else who is interested.
OK, thanks for the help. As you said, I was somewhat familiar with the process already but have learned a bit from you about the program that I didn’t know.
I am sad to say that after progressing to the portion of the program where the cloning starts, I read an error message wherein Clonezilla has terminated. I seems to repeat the same error message that I see when it fails to make the image file when once before I tried. I’ll try to reproduce the error message here for you:
On 2014-02-08 22:16, Fraser Bell wrote:
> For some reason, it can’t recognize the partition table on the disk you
> are trying to back up. Is there something unusual about that HD setup?
Prior to that error, there is another about no free space on device.
Yes. It is looking like it is unable to read either device at this stage. One looks like it might be a permissions problem (?), unable to read the subdirectory and therefore getting available space as “0” (or, perhaps, at this point just cannot read the device, with the same result.), even though it earlier read it to successfully mount the temporary “home”. The other looks like a partition table or boot record error.
I installed the normal manner and didn’t have problems on an earlier cloning attempt which went successfully. I’ve made several modifications to the system trying to resolve some of the other issues I’ve had with OpenGL and possibly another (which I can’t remember at the moment), but I don’t know what I might need to do at this point to remedy this particular issue with Clonezilla. What might you think it to be regarding permissions? Thanks.
I will say that the backup appears to complete (though somewhat slowly) up to a point where the Flash drive does have information on it from the backup so I know it’s able to read it enough to perform that task. I cannot imagine what may be this permissions error you both are discussing but am interested in pursuing it to resolution if you please. Thanks!
Okay, that would be v2.1.1-25 or higher, correct? There was a GPT issue before that.
The latest version is 2.2.1-25.
But, you mention you are still backing up to the Flash, so maybe the problem is size. Most archivers (and the compression is being done by an archiver) will create a temporary working file, then will either rename it or move it to the final file.
In the latter case, you would need space that is more than twice what the final backup archive will be.
I suggest you try backing up to your external HD, as you mentioned earlier, using the file-splitting, then when done just copy the final archive to the Flash device (if it is small enough to fit). As I mentioned, a restore would then run fine from the Flash device.
As for the permissions thoughts, I honestly don’t know at this point how there could be such a problem.
No further need for concern. I reinstalled after wiping the partitions with GParted. The /home partition was the problem because I tried to do just an in place “new installation” with wiping only the root partition but that just wasn’t enough because the backup failed again exactly the same way. Yesterday I was able to backup the newly wiped and installed partitions without incident. I cannot imagine what the problem was but I felt the expediency of just starting anew cost me less time investment than trying to track down the offending error.
Thanks for your help and I look forward to speaking with you again.
Yes, it is fine if you have the time to hunt such things down, makes for the best learning experience, but having that kind of time is usually a luxury.
Glad to see you made it up and running. Look forward to hearing from you again.
Just as an FYI, the 2nd complete backup has completed as it should. I fear that there was a problem that had occurred without my true knowledge of the cause, or even that a problem had occurred. Truly a time waster and, as I said, a reinstall was the quickest and most expedient way to resolve. Truth be known, since my old OS/2 days in the earlier 90’s. I have been known, to myself though, as the King of Reinstalls. Over these last 20 years of computing, I have reinstalled possibly more than anyone that I know. Then again, I don’t know people personally that operate on a computer the way that I do which is why I have developed online relationships as done here. It’s the only place that I know of to gain the experience that I need, and to have others who know more than I, to have a complete computing experience. I truly enjoy being able to interact with others online without really “knowing” them in the proverbial sense of that word.
Again, thanks for your kind assistance and I, too, look forward to exchanging information with you hence forth.
