Re: cloning a desktop to a notebook

["Randy Cole" <user=55@nabble.blu.org>]

 David Rosenstrauch wrote: 
> Kent Borg wrote: 
>> David Rosenstrauch wrote: 
>>> You could probably also just tar up the file system from the 
>>> desktop, and then un-tar it back to the laptop.  (i.e., boot the 
>>> desktop into a live cd, mount the HD, and then zip up it's 
>>> contents)  You'd probably have to tweak a few things (e.g., install 
>>> a MBR onto the HD of the laptop, alter the list of kernel modules 
>>> you need to load, etc.), but other than that it should pretty much 
>>> work. 
>> 
>> I essentially did that recently when my notebook was in for repairs 
>> and I wanted to run off of an external USB disk.  After doing a dummy 
>> install to get the USB booting working, it was something like an 
>> "rsync -a" of everything, go back and edit things like /etc/fstab and 
>> /boot/grub/menu.lst (others?) so the new volumes would be found, and 
>> I was there.  (Not only did it work, it was legal--take that MS users 
>> and DMCA supporters.) 
> 
> Yeah, I seem to remember I've successfully done this before too, which 
> was why I suggested it. 
> 
> And yes - isn't it just maddening that even though this is completely 
> technically feasible, that Microsoft goes out of its way to break it. 
> (i.e., try this FS zip/unzip trick with Windows XP, and the machine 
> won't even boot.  Windows detects new hardware and then Windows 
> Activation prevents the OS from booting up.) 
> 
> DR