On 02/19/2010 09:34 PM, Harry Putnam wrote:
> I'm currently rsyncing an OS (new gentoo install) from one vmware disk
> to a newly created one.
> 
> I know not to copy /proc but not sure about /dev.  Looking at an
> unbooted OS disk with an install on it... I see /dev/ is populated
> (with no boot up), but I recall seeing things during boot like
> `populating /dev' (I think).
> 
> So should I copy it over to new disk or not?
> 
> OH, what this is all about is maybe worth mention here for someone
> else doing similar.
> 
> I opened a vmware appliance (pre made install of gentoo 1008),
> thinking I'd be able to fairly quickly get it up to date.
> 
> The reason I went with the premade appliance is that I've tried
> several times to get a vmware gentoo guest going but always have
> trouble when booting off the newly built kernel.  I've fussed with
> that repeatedly and only managed long ago to get one gentoo vmware
> guest running.  (There was quite a tirade of threads initiated by me
> here back then),
> 
> So anyway the appliance turned out to be a real chore to get
> updated... Circular dependancies involving different versions of
> portage and somekind  of api... maybe eapi1 not working with various
> pkgs, all in all a big nasty circle jerk... so went ahead and tried
> the `from scratch' route.
> 
> And true to form having plenty of trouble getting my kernel to see the
> vmware disk I installed on, once I boot off the new kernel.
> 
> I chose to install on a scsi disk as recommended by vmwares' help.
> 
> That, I think is where the rub currently is. 
> 
> I noticed the appliance (From bagvapp) was built on an IDE disk, And
> its worth noting that even when booting from the appliance,,, that
> kernel doesn't see the scsi disk either... (with fdisk).
> 
> So the livecd kernel sees both the appliance IDE disk and the scsi
> disk I installed on.  That kernel appears to be genkernel built and
> uses the initrd approach, so all mod are in play before the actual
> kernel starts booting.
> 
> Anyway, cutting to the chase, I added an IDE disk myself and am copying
> the OS from the original SCSI to the IDE (I foolishly did quite a bit
> of emerging and configuring from the chroot before actually testing if
> it would boot so, don't wan't to lose that work and do another fresh
> install).
> 
> So, I'm about to find out if any of it is going to work but wondered
> about copying /dev/ over.
You can copy static /dev - no problem. When udev starts it will just
mount its own stuff over the static /dev. You do actually always need
some files to boot: at least /dev/null and often also
/dev/{tty*,console} and possibly others (depends on your init system).
Anyway: copying  /dev is a good idea.

Bye,
Daniel

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