From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri May 1 17:59:25 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9586A1065687 for ; Fri, 1 May 2009 17:59:25 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: from wonkity.com (wonkity.com [67.158.26.137]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3FD5E8FC15 for ; Fri, 1 May 2009 17:59:24 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: from wonkity.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by wonkity.com (8.14.3/8.14.3) with ESMTP id n41HxIsZ055125; Fri, 1 May 2009 11:59:18 -0600 (MDT) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: from localhost (wblock@localhost) by wonkity.com (8.14.3/8.14.3/Submit) with ESMTP id n41HxImD055122; Fri, 1 May 2009 11:59:18 -0600 (MDT) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Date: Fri, 1 May 2009 11:59:18 -0600 (MDT) From: Warren Block To: Martin McCormick In-Reply-To: <200905011707.n41H7M6b021540@dc.cis.okstate.edu> Message-ID: References: <200905011707.n41H7M6b021540@dc.cis.okstate.edu> User-Agent: Alpine 2.00 (BSF 1167 2008-08-23) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed X-Greylist: Sender IP whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-4.2.2 (wonkity.com [127.0.0.1]); Fri, 01 May 2009 11:59:18 -0600 (MDT) Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: When a System Dies; Getting back in operation again. X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 01 May 2009 17:59:25 -0000 On Fri, 1 May 2009, Martin McCormick wrote: > Let's say we have a system that is backed up regularly and it > vanishes in a puff of smoke one day. One can get FreeBSD > installed on a new drive in maybe half an hour or so but we also > need to get back to the right patch level and then we can say we > are back where we started. If you do not have hot-swappable > drives which we mostly do not, What is the best way to restore > the full system? > > Can I use the FreeBSD installation disk in rescue mode? > The idea would be to boot the CDROM, go in to rescue mode, mount > the new drive which may be blank right now, and then use restore > based on the last dump of the system we are trying to revive. I've had success doing a minimal install from CD, booting from the new drive, and then restoring dumpfiles right over it. -Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota USA