{Solved?} Rescuezilla does not like me

[Gainer]

Rufus and Rescuezilla were doing me well. Amazing tools. I have backed up my original local machine. All went well.

I'm not sure but I think my challenge is...

1. boot to Rescuezilla
2. insert Stick #1 (bootable/persistent USB wih LM22) wonderful tool for eval and learning
3. insert Stick #2 (blank)
Note: Stick #1 & #2 - same brand, same size
Make a Clone of Stick #1 on #2
Did not work - 3 tries
Make a Backup of Stick #1
Did not work - 3 tries

Is this because stick #1 (source) is not a/on local machine drive?

 

[Trenix25]

I normally boot from a USB flash drive that gives me the option to boot to the main system on the hard drive, or to a read-only maintenance system on the flash drive. I also use a backup partition to hold backups of everything I need, aside from the web partition. All of that gets stored in a cold storage backup on a separate hard drive every now and then. I use tar and gzip for the backups.

You can "clone" your flash drives with /usr/bin/dd. You can copy the drive to a file and send the file to a remote system and then copy that file to the flash drive on that same remote system.

Signed,

Matthew Campbell

 

[Condobloke]

Was there an error message presented at either of these times ?

 

[Gainer]

Thank you for the overview.

I normally boot from a USB flash drive that gives me the option to boot to the main system on the hard drive, or to a read-only maintenance system on the flash drive.

I too boot from a USB flash drive. The local machine hard drive came with Ubuntu 24 installed and I used Rescuezilla to make backups (2, verified and now in the Cloud)

The USB flash drive has LM22 and is read/write. I think that is refered to as Persistent - I am able to keep my successful modifications and preferences through ReBoot.

I see your Terminal code to "Clone" and I am way too much of a newbie to take on Terminal.

I went to KUBESIMPLIFY.com and read the tut on the dd command. Four decades of DOS prompt- no problem, do it sound asleep. Three weeks of Linux... thank you for the direction to go but very much not ready.

Rescuezilla was doing the job very nicely. I just think it is because I am trying to clone a thumb drive to thumb drive - although not making a backup either.

Thank you. I'll catch you on the flip side a couple of months from now ready for Terminal

 

[Gainer]

Was there an error message presented at either of these times ?

Yup. I knew you would ask, made a screenshot, stored it on the local machine SSD. Rescuezilla verified it was saved but could not find it on any hardware involved.

Will rerun the process and try other ways to retreive it - fingers crossed

Thank you

 

[Gainer]

@Condobloke - I think the observation I made above in response to @Trenix25 reply is a factor or at least in part...

Rescuezilla was doing the job very nicely. I just think it is because I am trying to clone a thumb drive to thumb drive - although not making a backup either.

I set up Rescuezilla to redo a stick to stick clone and backup. I needed to re-produce error messages that I "lost",

I thought it would be benifical to do a couple of standard clones and backups, mainly to insure my target thumb drive was not corrupt or...?

I started this Windows to Linux project using all new hardware to eliminate driver and hardware problems. Checked it out before I started. All passed, but stuff today ain't perfect. So double check - all OK

1. boot to Rescuezilla
2. Backup local machine to new #1 Stick (blank) no errors
3. Rescuezilla backup files verified

Clone or Backup where the source is a bootable/persistent USB Thumb Drive TO a Thumb Drive same size or larger fails about half way through. Error messages are inconsistent. I use Rescuezilla screenshot tool. I see them being made and stored. Something I'm doind or not doing - cannot find them to send.

It's coming up on 3:45am - I'm hitting the rack. Up early for the furnace replacement contractors. I'm taking a Time-Out from Rescuezilla and go through some YouTube vis again - I might be missing something. Might try a different tool. Not enough confidence yet to go to Terminal and explore the /dd command (maybe/maybe not)

Hope my butt gets warmth by Thursday - Important stuff happening - Thursday Night Football.

 

[Condobloke]

4.30 AM here. I have submitted the 'case' to the support guy at rescuezilla....he is also the developer of rescuszilla, and is always helpful.
He has a lot on his plate so I may not hear back immediately.

Good luck with the furnace !

When I have needed a screenshot of RZ, I have taken a pic of the screen with my phone.....and then emailed the pic to myself.....a bit circuitous, but it has worked. Working out where the screenshot was stored and then working out how to get it back to the main drive was just too time consuming for me.

My guess is a size disparity between the two usb sticks......I know they are supposed to be the same size, but there only needs to be a 1mb difference and things wont work. Time will tell

 

[Trenix25]

The command line doesn't have to be difficult. Most of the commands you'll need will be in /usr/bin/ and many of the graphical programs that you use might well be using them already. And then there are the man pages. man is short for manual, like a user's manual. They tell you how to use the command bins. All you'll need to do is open up an XTerm and start poking around. You'll need commands like ls and cd, along with mkdir and rmdir right away. Using cd by itself will send you back to your home directory. Your current working directory should be part of your command prompt, but if it isn't you can use the pwd command to find out. We all start at the beginning and then we grow from there. You will too, just like everyone else. Before long you'll be able to use the command line and the graphical programs.

Signed,

Matthew Campbell

 

[Gainer]

4.30 AM here. I have submitted the 'case' to the support guy at rescuezilla....he is also the developer of rescuszilla, and is always helpful.
He has a lot on his plate so I may not hear back immediately.

OMG, thank you.. I am OK with waiting a bit. I have plenty (too much) to keep me busy...

screenshot of RZ, I have taken a pic of the screen with my phone.....

Phone pic.... Well I never.... We (a group of independent IT contractors) were very early adoptors of mobile phones and next smartphones back in the dark ages - just coming out of the Phone Booth & early beeper era. Oh so very long ago.

All but one of us returned to the mobile phone after a couple of months. and years went by... My first smartphone was not too ago and I think I've taken two pictures - by accident, one of my left knee, and another still to be identified. Yup, still do not text either. Guess I'm going to find a different method of getting some screenshots.

I think (and oh boy is that dangerous) that I also need to understand more in-depth the benifits and draw backs of Cloning vs BackUp. Yes, it's a new tool to me and most likely do not understand all the possible ways to use it - for what I (think) I want to do. I'm most likely making things far more difficult than necessary, not using Rescuezilla correctly, or may have incorrect expectations.

A month ago when I started it all seemed soooooooo easy. Now, every one thing I solve brings up five more questions... What's with that?

 

[Condobloke]

benifits and draw backs of Cloning vs BackUp

That is worth pursuing....carefully. I have more than a few 'dark spots' in that area myself. I am not a fan of cloning, probably because I do not truly understand all the ins and outs/all the possible pitfalls/etc etc....therefore I have stuck to images, simply because they work for me. My needs are simple....if I break the OS, i want to be assured that restoring the image will fix it. RZ has done that for me, in spades.
I have yet to find a clear, concise description of the cloning process that fills the void in my mind. It is possible that I have overthought the situation.

every one thing I solve brings up five more questions.

Try not to overthink it...it can lead you down paths which are not necessary. Stick to what you know will work. You will thank your self for doing that.
It also helps you sleep better ! Takes the load off. !

 

[Gainer]

My needs are simple....if I break the OS, i want to be assured that restoring the image will fix it. RZ has done that for me, in spades.
I have yet to find a clear, concise description of the cloning process that fills the void in my mind. It is possible that I have overthought the situation.

Thank you for expressing clearly what I hesitated to confess. I have lost count how many times I have re-read the Rescuezill site. I'm just felt a bit lame for not "getting" it.

Once you and "Brick" got me going on Bootable Mint USB Sticks and then adding Persistant, I got a bunch of Sticks and loaded them up. I use them like a video game - push till I get it or till it crashes. Pop in the next one and reboot.

Using that method of moving forward, I purchased more identical Mini PC's. I may not need them till much later because of you comments but I have intended to replace all of my computers sometime in the next six months anyway - way over due and begining to be a time sinkhole.

So, I am fortunate that the "treasurer" approved the budget before we started a month ago. I bribbed her with a new laptop.

....therefore I have stuck to images, simply because they work

To be clear, your reference "to images" is the product (folder and files) produced by RZ doing a Backup? I have done the process multi times from the local machine SSD to "images" that are stored on a different computer for accessability and safety.

Where I am a bit unclear is in termeology. An "Image" of the bootable drive on "local machine#1", the way I understood "image" would be one big file with no access to any content...

instead - IF - I understand the definition within RZ and our conversation... a RZ Backup "Image" of the bootable drive on "local machine#1" is the RZ created folder with all the necessary files - ie "image"

At some future time I am able to use that "Image" to restore a broken OS on the same local machine back to a "Known-Good" point-- and (maybe) I am also hearing, "Restore" to "local machine #2"? and "local machine#3" - etc.

My intent is to have a method to save my Last-Known-Good and copy/image/spread/restore it across many local machines instead of updating each machine individually.

I assume, once a machine is RZ "Restored" it is bootable? Not only the source machine to create the image, but anyother machine.

We are all speaking English, are we not? That was tooo long. I forget I'm speaking Microsoft-Speak and listening to Linux-Speak with a bit of RZ tossed in.

Tomorrow will be my one month old Linux birthday and also the day when I registered to Linux.org.

 

[Condobloke]

To be clear, your reference "to images" is the product (folder and files) produced by RZ doing a Backup? I have done the process multi times from the local machine SSD to "images" that are stored on a different computer for accessability and safety.

Yes.

""stored on a different computer for accessibility and safety."".....were those images 'saved' to those locations via RZ?....or did you drag and drop the image there.
RZ is very strict where drive sizes are concerned....it refuses point blank to Restore an image to a different size drive....bigger is fine.....but smaller is a no. You could end up with backups of backups, saved copies all over the place that may confuse the issue and RZ ?....this is not a statement of fact, just a thought that crossed my mind.
For the record, my backups are saved to one external only ... and if the need arises to Restore that backup, it will be taken restored from that saved point only. I know that a backup image should be retrievable from anywhere it is stored, but I am a touch leery of trusting that......I really do...seriously....keep it as simple as can be.

Where I am a bit unclear is in terminology. An "Image" of the bootable drive on "local machine#1", the way I understood "image" would be one big file with no access to any content...

No. if there is no access to content, restoring it would achieve zero

instead - IF - I understand the definition within RZ and our conversation... a RZ Backup "Image" of the bootable drive on "local machine#1" is the RZ created folder with all the necessary files - ie "image"

yes.

At some future time I am able to use that "Image" to restore a broken OS on the same local machine back to a "Known-Good" point-- and (maybe) I am also hearing, "Restore" to "local machine #2"? and "local machine#3" - etc.

(underlined)....Yes.

(in bold) ...Maybe. Drive size is crucial ....and i must admit to being a bit unsure. I have not tried this.....I have no need to. My second and occasional third pc "do their own thing".....they are not "clones" of my main pc.....they sure are similar, but not exact replicas. Two of them have LM22....they both have Timeshift. If the second pc (fro some unknown reason) throws in the towel completely......and cannot be recovered via Timeshift (that is SO unlikely).....I would just put the usb stick and in and reinstall. Why?...because Linux is free and a reinstall takes around 10 - 15 minutes. Done. All i really need to set up is a browser....brave......10 minutes or less.

I assume, once a machine is RZ "Restored" it is bootable? Not only the source machine to create the image, but anyother machine.

The source machine which created that image...Definitely

Another machine?.....unsure. (drive size etc etc)..... What you 'see' as being the same size may not be so when viewed through the 'eyes' of RZ.

I forget I'm speaking Microsoft-Speak and listening to Linux-Speak with a bit of RZ tossed in.

M'soft speak will land you in deep dod doo.......the combination with Linux can be deadly....both practically and the mind may/will blow a fuse !!
Throw in linux and RZ and omg !

Your habit/penchant for multiple machines may bring you unstuck....I hope it doesn't, but the possibility is there.



Timeshift may well deserve more of your time, where a machine which has "gone south' is concerned.

 

[APTI]

Rufus and Rescuezilla were doing me well. Amazing tools. I have backed up my original local machine. All went well.

I'm not sure but I think my challenge is...

1. boot to Rescuezilla
2. insert Stick #1 (bootable/persistent USB wih LM22) wonderful tool for eval and learning
3. insert Stick #2 (blank)
Note: Stick #1 & #2 - same brand, same size
Make a Clone of Stick #1 on #2
Did not work - 3 tries
Make a Backup of Stick #1
Did not work - 3 tries

Is this because stick #1 (source) is not a/on local machine drive?

If at 3rd you don't succeed, try something else.
I have done exactly what you are trying to do. backup or copy or clone a usb live linux. The ability is already in. I use Fedora so translate as you need.
1.. put known good bootable usb in usb slot
2.. go to utilities then disk
3.. select the USB drive
4.. Select option to create ISO of the USB drive

once complete you can "burn" the ISO to other usb drives usually using the same utility and it works because I use it often in the shop. The utility is built in on Fedora you should find similar. It is gnome-disks

 

[Gainer]

Your habit/penchant for multiple machines may bring you unstuck....I hope it doesn't, but the possibility is there.

Timeshift may well deserve more of your time, where a machine which has "gone south' is concerned.

Uh? "may bring you unstuck"? Aussie for "... sending me around the bend?" Almost there depending on you you ask. Wahoo, more whiskey should get it sorted!

Timeshift. YES! as soon as I get my first Local Machine in to production. I suspect it will releive a bunch of my consen. Just will not work on bootable sticks - only HHD/SSD

And, yes! Thank you for the rest of the post. Lots of words on both of our parts but I think we are talking the same now.

I can see how drive size could be a problem especially Larger image to Smaller drive. And I know nothing about partitions.

The bootable / persistant USB Thumb Drive I have been working with is about as far as I can go with Settings/Preferences/Configurations. Getting very close to clicking the Install Icon. Cannot find a clear answer to... If I click Install will LinuxMint 22 Cinammon default ISO install or will my all of my all of my Settings/Preferences/Configurations so carefully saves through many reboots, be installed also?

 

[Condobloke]

""Your habit/penchant for multiple machines may bring you unstuck.""

You may end up with a mess instead of what you are aiming for.

getting close to clicking the install button...

Click it.....and see what happens. If you come unstuck (lol) and it doesnt do as you would like it to....well then at least you know !

It is not a biggie......if all it installs is the basic LM22 without all your configurations....well then that is the end of that !.....just configure whatever you have on there, and move on to whatever your next step is.;

The really nice thing about setting up configurations of various apps??....It is good practise !

 

[Gainer]

It is not a biggie......if all it installs is the basic LM22 without all your configurations....well then that is the end of that !.....just configure whatever you have on there, and move on to whatever your next step is.;

Yup, Furnace first, then Lunix Mint install. Will return to the forum after that.

The really nice thing about setting up configurations of various apps??....It is good practise !

More Practice?
My eyes are falling out I've read so much,
my fingers are stubs I've "practiced" keyboarding so much
my mouse' butt is polished from so much desk-rubbing & skidding
running low on whisky
more coffee being shipped...
but lots of darn good music
and it is suppose to be "good practise?"

I'm just a Grumpy-Old-Fart - My wife calls me "GOF" All the time I thought she was saying "Golf?" and I kept say no, never played.

Once I'm on a local machine instead of bootable USB...
01. set firewall ON
If necessary configure system to mirror where I left off on the UBS
or may the come over from the Persistent environment I have been working on
02. Install Timeshift - make backups
03. Make one or more RZ Backups
04. install Brave/Configure - Install StartPage
- The following 2 came installed with LM22 Cinammon
05. Uninstall Firefox
06. Uninstall LibreOffice Suite
07. Manual Timeshift
08. Install LibreWrite
09. Install LibreCalc
10. Manual Timeshift
11. Make one or more RZ Backups
12. Should be ahead of schedule - Christmas without Microsoft

 

[KGIII]

I'm just a Grumpy-Old-Fart - My wife calls me "GOF"

I've been online for a long time. The reality is that you can develop true friendships/relationships with people online. A couple of years ago, I lost a long-term online friend to cancer.

His username was 'COF' and it stood for Cynical Old Fart.

Alas, I could not get him to try Linux.

 

[KGIII]

Also, Linux isn't that hard - you're just trying to accomplish a lot at a rapid pace.

That's okay - but it steepens the learning curve.

It's perfectly fine to do so, but don't do so to the point where it frustrates you enough to stop learning how to accomplish your goals in Linux.

Also, I don't use any of that imaging stuff as a general rule. I have important data that's not stored on the device I'm using and I have my data in my profile - /home/kgiii.

Instead, I just back up that data. I don't make a disk image (cloning). I just preserve the important data.

I do that with an rsync command in the terminal. I just push the up button until it loads from history and run the command when I think of it - which is fairly often. I do this on every computer I own, as does the missus.

The missus is a Lubuntu user. She doesn't ask me for help as a general rule. I taught her the same way I teach everyone.

I sit them down at the computer (in the GUI) and tell them that things are where they logically should be. I use the browser as my example. Logically speaking, that will be in the application menu under 'Internet'. Sure enough, that's where the browser is found.

Then, I point out the value of search and tell them to just use Linux. When you don't know how to do something, use a search engine.

She has been using Lubuntu since 2018.

You get to pick your learning curve. You've chosen to make it a steep curve.

Again, try to not get so frustrated that you give up on Linux. (As long as we see you trying, we're not going to give up on you!)

 

[Gainer]

Also, Linux isn't that hard - you're just trying to accomplish a lot at a rapid pace.

Thank you for the two threads. Sorry for your loss.

Yes, a bit of a rapid pace when I look back on the last 31 days. Much credit goes to you, @Condobloke @Brickwizard and @wizardfromoz - there were others to thank also.

I may not recall correctly, but I think it was one of you-all that talked about getting so much done was due to insomnia... going for days without sleep... thus "getting a bunch done". Yes, I drove my parents, a couple of wives, a few kids and a bunch of doctors absolutely nuts.

I never like felt anything was "wrong" or "bad" with 3 hour sleep every couple of day. Other than being awake for long periods of time, I had none of the "symptoms" attributed to insomnia. And had no problem sleeping. It just was not doctor text book.

I think what bothered doctors the most was I took no stimulants to stay "awake" (legal, OTC, or illegal) and I refused drugs "to put me down". If I am not forcing myself to stay awake, why would I use something to force me to sleep? I just listen to my body and sleep when it says to sleep.

Especially since all test could not correlate "doctor defined symptoms" with me being awake longer than their defination of "good and proper". And they could not comprehend why I could sleep for two days only a couple times a year.

Yes, I do talk about coffee and whisky - maybe too much, especially on this forum. Actual consumption, two cups of black Somatra daily before noon, never miss - never more. A double of whisky if I remember never more, but miss all too often.

Then one day I found a doctor... no, the doctor was refered me as her office needed computer support (badly). It took some real handholding of herself and staff. It turned out to be a real good gig (years long).

During the first two months, I guess she was noticing my work habits - always available, anytime, no matter how long. At lunch one day she said she had heard the remarks some of my contract crew made about how strange my habits of not sleeping were (jokingly) a bit weird.

She offered that it would be considered in a honest medical environment as "normal for me". There is a medical term for it but it's been so many years I forgot what it was. I guess I should look it up. What she said, was that it should be considered abnormal to say "everybody needs/must have eight hours of sleep daily", If not, it seems like the road to "normal" is durg them to sleep and drug them to be awake. I do feel for those with true insomnia. I've talked to a few and their life is a hell.

Again, try to not get so frustrated that you give up on Linux.

Sorry if come across frustrated. It's my nature to want the whole encchilada yesterday. All is good. I do not always get what I want.

All that to say, I do appreciate your comments and care that I "don't bite off more than I can chew". After 4-5 decades of Microsoft and doing what I did becausei was told "I was good at it", but didn't enjoy it (a lot of satisifaction, but little joy) I can now say... You guys are helping me HAVE MORE FUN THAN I DESERVE. Linux is actually interesting.

NUFF4Now, thank you!

 

[KGIII]

I may not recall correctly, but I think it was one of you-all that talked about getting so much done was due to insomnia... going for days without sleep... thus "getting a bunch done".

That would have been me. It turns out that it likely took years off my life - though healing is possible. Right now, I get the best sleep I can recall ever getting. I even had issues sleeping as a teen.

But, that's not important...

Sorry if come across frustrated. It's my nature to want the whole encchilada yesterday. All is good. I do not always get what I want.

Consider it a gentle reminder and a bit of a warning. Burning out happens surprisingly quickly when it does happen. It happens all the time. All sorts of folks revert to using Windows after giving Linux a try. I don't have an exact number but it's more than a small percentage of people.