[luau] Ghost for Linux and Pattition Image

[yuser at hi.net]

On Mon, 4 Nov 2002, MonMotha wrote:

> When cloning windows systems, Norton Ghost can modify the magic numbers 
> associated with your NT install that are supposed to be unique (a plain 
> disk image can't do this) as well as a few other things (people tout 
> "ghostwalker" which is essentially a loopback mount of the fielsystem, 
> but anyway).  However, on UNIX, I can't think of anything a specialized 
> program would offer over dd and netcat :)
> 
> --MonMotha
> 

I have not found the Multicasting with Ghost to be very useful in the real 
world.  By the time you get everything set up and ready to roll you could 
have used a normal network bootdisk and pulled the image directly to the 
workstations from a server using normal methods.  Even if you have a lab 
setup it takes time to hook up the max of 8 machines and get them all 
ready for the multicasting and it still does not save time.  In my last 2 
jobs 
I have used PQDI and Ghost a lot.  I use a Samba machine (or Novell) with 
the images 
and a TCP/IP boot disk to connect to it.  It works great.  If you have 
more then one image or different machines you can make a menu system to 
automatically do the grunt work for you.  I guess one small advantage of 
Ghost is it can create boot disks for you.  I am already familiar with 
that concept thanks to Google and I highly recommend 
http://www.nu2.nu/bootdisk/network/ for boot disks.  It can autodetect 
network cards, DHCP, and just about anything you need.  

I have sample scripts for pulling and writing images to a network 
server and boot disk images if anyone is really interested.

You can also use the boot disk for other things.  I have Duke Nukem on a 
network share, run a batch file from my normal my boot disk, 
pull down the game to a 64MB ram drive and run it from there.  I don't 
use it often but my co workers and I have played Duke matches during 
lunch.  When we were done simply reboot the computer and all is back to 
normal!