From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Wed Dec 15 15:46:11 2010
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
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 BC45B106564A
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:46:11 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from keramida@ceid.upatras.gr)
Received: from igloo.linux.gr (igloo.linux.gr [62.1.205.36])
	by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3D2508FC15
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:46:11 +0000 (UTC)
X-Spam-Status: No
X-Hellug-MailScanner-From: keramida@ceid.upatras.gr
X-Hellug-MailScanner-SpamCheck: not spam, SpamAssassin (not cached,
	score=-2.9, required 5, autolearn=not spam, ALL_TRUSTED -1.00,
	BAYES_00 -1.90)
X-Hellug-MailScanner: Found to be clean
X-Hellug-MailScanner-ID: oBFFjsRS011050
Received: from gkeramidas-glaptop.linux.gr ([74.125.57.36])
	(authenticated bits=0)
	by igloo.linux.gr (8.14.3/8.14.3/Debian-9.4) with ESMTP id
	oBFFjsRS011050
	(version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=NOT);
	Wed, 15 Dec 2010 17:46:01 +0200
From: Giorgos Keramidas <keramida@ceid.upatras.gr>
To: bsd <bsd@todoo.biz>
References: <201012150800.oBF80FRf015357@mail.r-bonomi.com>
	<58F35D2B-19D0-4FE0-A4DA-03FDA8128BD2@todoo.biz>
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2010 16:45:54 +0100
In-Reply-To: <58F35D2B-19D0-4FE0-A4DA-03FDA8128BD2@todoo.biz> (bsd@todoo.biz's
	message of "Wed, 15 Dec 2010 16:11:45 +0100")
Message-ID: <xeiaei9j3uq5.fsf@kobe.laptop>
User-Agent: Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Emacs/24.0.50 (gnu/linux)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain
Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org, Robert Bonomi <bonomi@mail.r-bonomi.com>
Subject: Re: Creating clone of a HDD including boot partition
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:46:11 -0000

On Wed, 15 Dec 2010 16:11:45 +0100, bsd <bsd@todoo.biz> wrote:
> Is there a way to dd to a file to create an iso image and then restore
> (still using dd from this image).  I only have one IDE <--> USB cable
> so this is the reason why It'd more simple for me to create an iso
> image of the disk and then restore.
>
> Using dump won't be very useful because I won't be able to get the
> first 63 segments where boot info are written, I need something of
> lower level (obviously dd will be my friend).
>
> Thanks everyone. I'll try to post the line code once I got It up and
> running.

No dd(1) cannot do that.

What you _can_ do is boot into single-user mode, and then use mkisofs
with burncd or growisofs from dvd+rw-tools to burn an image while still
in single-user mode.  The only user mode process is your root shell at
that point, so you can be relatively sure there are no major changes
happening somewhere at the filesystem while you are still dumping it to
a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM disk.