FOSS Hard Drive Imaging Software, Random Stuff, and More

Ever since computers have started to come without restoration disks for 'environmental reasons', users have often had to rely on proprietary backup methods in order to create rescue methods (but which often have flaws with them as well). I've experimented with several different means through which to achieve free backup. 

- FOSS imaging options include G4U, G4L, Partimage (via System Rescue CD), Clonezilla:

- G4U

Cons: BSD based, minimal hardware support, minimal documentation on the actual disk itself

Benefits: small, fast, easy to use provided you know how to setup a FTP server and have a DHCP server already in your network, one file only to deal with

- G4L

Cons: can be a steep learning curve for those new to imaging

Benefits: Linux based, good hardware support, option of both CLI and menu based interface systems, good options for compression of image, one file only

- Clonezilla

Cons: seems to output to multiple files in a directory as opposed to a single file

Benefits: simple to use

- Partimage

Cons: unless I'm mistaken can only save/restore partitions

Benefits: easy to use, pretty much just a bunch of menu options

http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/FtpFs

http://www.sysresccd.org/Sysresccd-manual-en_Network

http://www.partimage.org/Partimage-manual_Network-support

http://www.partimage.org/Partimage-manual

http://www.thefreecountry.com/utilities/backupandimage.shtml

- G4U, G4L and Clonezilla are designed to be used from a rescue boot disc since they can't handle live imaging but ironically Clonezilla can be installed to your Linux installation much of the time. They're basically a bunch of menu based scripts

- going from a smaller to larger drive is actually handled pretty well by most FOSS software but not going from larger to smaller drive. For this use, gparted to shrink hard disk drive

https://medium.com/@giuliodn/clone-and-backup-with-gparted-e1100219c1d7

dd to copy hard disk drive, sgdisk to copy partition table if testdisk can't recover the proper partition table, sfdisk to change disk label to something unique via uuidgen

https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/12986/how-to-copy-the-partition-layout-of-a-whole-disk-using-standard-tools

- Paragon's Partition Magic for a long time the go to option but there are lots of free options out there now. It always handled the situations that free products couldn't handle

http://www.paragon-software.com/business/adaptiveimagingtools/

- Easeus Partition Magic is actually free. The basic free version handles most scenarios that you'll deal with at home. For more complex situations you'll have to go with the paid version
https://www.easeus.com/partition-master/free-download-partition-magic-full-version.html

- as usual thanks to all of the individuals and groups who purchase and use my goods and services
http://sites.google.com/site/dtbnguyen/
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com.au/