Rsync - does it really do an *exact* copy?

[Paul Slootman]

On Mon 29 May 2006, martin aa wrote:
> Hi Rsync-ers
> 
> I'm simply using rsync to do an exact copy of my root (and home) partition by using the -aHv options.
> 
> When the copy is complete, I modify fstab so my root and home mount points are pointing to the newly copied partitions.

Do you also actually boot with the new root filesystem? Modifying only
the fstab can lead to very confusing situations. Don't forget that the
kernel has to mount the root filesystem before it can read the fstab;
look at what is passed at boot time in the root= parameter.

> Just to be sure it was rsync, I completed deleted my original root and home partitions (it's okay, it was a new installation) and then copied everything back (again using the -aHv options).  However, I ended up with exactly the same problem.

I've just been busy with a new system, and I've been copying over the
root filesystem multiple times with rsync, without any such problems
whatsoever, so at least for me rsync works just fine for that task.


Paul Slootman