AW: [Oberon] Re. cloning a filesystem or an OS.

[PETER EASTHOPE]

Chris, Sven and others,

Thanks for the comments.

ss> ... there's a lot of metadata on a filesystem. 
   ...
ss> Bootfile: Currently, there is no operation that extracts the boot file from a partition, but this could be done.
 
ss> Bootloader: ...

In light of everything explained, only two methods are feasible.
* If the two parts are the same size use part -> file -> part.

* Otherwise do enough of the conventional installation 
to get at least the filesystem, bootloader and bootfile 
installed on the target.  Then mount the source and 
target parts and copy files.  For an OS, this is not 
strict cloning because the bootloader and bootfile 
are not cloned.

Additional Remarks

cg> ... the destination-partition would
then just contain 1 file, albeit a big-file derived from
a whole partitition.

We are at crossed purposes.  The image file 
must reside on a third part.  Cloning of the 
source is not complete until the image is
copied to the target with the second command.
Partitions.FileToPartition IDEt#n ImageFile ~

cg> ... bootloader is not part of the Oberon clone.
... applicable to all the installd OSs?

The experts can correct me.

In Oberon, boot manager and bootloader are distinct.  
The boot manager is BootMan, written by Andr Fischer; 
bootloader is OBL, written by Pieter Muller.
The same OBL is used for Aos.

In Linux, manager and bootloader are combined; and 
there is more than one package to choose from.
Lilo, Grub & etc.

Ref. also http://www.oberon.ethz.ch/bootstrap.html
(A glossary might help.)

ss> Currently, there is no operation that extracts the boot file ...

The old question of inverse procedures.  
Given the existence of Partitions.UpdateBootFile 
one might expect to find a Partitions.ExtractBootFile 
also.  I understand partially why it wasn't written.

Terminology: BootFile is really not a good name.
Once installed it is not a file.  BootCode, 
BootImage, BootProcedure or BootSequence would 
be better.

Regards,         ... Peter E.


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