Backup strategy

**bercy** · November 24th, 2012

Hi,

I rent dedicated servers.

When I get a new server, the provider installs a fresh install of (let's say) Ubuntu 12, and then I do a bunch of configuration (install software with apt-get, add some shell scripts, and install custom software of my own).

How do I make a backup of this first server, so that I can then get a second server installed with a fresh Ubuntu, on which I could "apply" all the custom changes I made on the first server just by copying files over, but without overwriting whatever has to do with network configuration, computer name, etc.. of the new server ?

Tks.

**ibjsb4** · November 24th, 2012

Take a look at clonezilla

http://clonezilla.org/clonezilla-SE/

**bercy** · November 24th, 2012

Originally Posted by ibjsb4

Take a look at clonezilla

http://clonezilla.org/clonezilla-SE/

Thanks for your reply.

I read the documentation there, correct me if I'm wrong, but this solution is for making a COMPLETE disk image, which means that the network config and computer name of the source computer would be on that image. If I were to overwrite a fresh install of Ubuntu with that image, wouldn't I end up with 2 exact copies, meaning two computers set up with the same name / IP ?

I guess the information I'm looking for is this : I know where I'm installing my custom software. What I don't know is : where does Ubuntu make changes on the disk when one installs packages through apt-get ?

I would like to make a backup of those directories, but also avoid backing up files that are not affected by apt-get...