newbie wants to transfer settings to new install

[KnavishClout]

Hello, all! I just recently finished getting my Ubuntu PC set up EXACTALLY how I want it (what with the right themes and everything) and then I came into posession of a nice new hard drive. Is there any way to "save" my settings from this install so that when I install it again on the new hard drive, I won't have to track down everything again?

I'm very new to linux so I prefer to use GUI whenever possible, so if you're giving me any code please be very specific and assume I'm an idiot, because when it comes to linux, I am!

Thanks!

[logos34]

Why don't you just clone/image the whole installation to the new disk?

DD command is the easiest way--if you copy the entire hard disk it will even transfer the MBR code:


Cloning an entire hard disk:

dd if=/dev/sda of=/dev/sdb bs=4096 conv=notrunc,noerror

/dev/sda is the source. /dev/sdb is the target. Do not reverse the intended source and target. It happens. Notrunc means 'do not truncate the output file'. Noerror means to keep going if there is an error. Normally dd stops at any error.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/learn-the-dd-command-362506/Admittedly it's not the quickest way since it copies unused disk space as well, but can't be beat for simplicity. There's also Gparted copy/move option (http://gparted.sourceforge.net/larry/move/move.htm). If you want speed, use Partimage (http://www.partimage.org/Partimage-manual_Usage)--copies only used sectors. But you'll have to reinstall Grub on the new hard disk (see link my sig).