for RPI the Image Backup is a big question, not so much for your work ( privat files...)
but for system, setup: installs and tweaks, change of SD cards and USB system drives.
as i start usually from a Windows 7 PC, download RASPBIAN desktop .img.zip or NOOBS / PINN .zip
i am used to the win7 tools
++ SD Formatter (v5.0)
++ win32 disk imager (v1.0)
++ etcher (v1.3.1)
+++ guiformat32 and h2testw ( for special jobs )
i was used to use win32diskimager to read back SD cards to .img files and zip it.
but much changed my working style when i find the
RASPBIAN desktop menu SD card copier tool (piclone)
( or rpi_clone CLI version )
it copies a running system to a SD card or USB stick / makes it bootable,
works for smaller drives ( as long the content fits ) and for bigger drives ( with automatic enlarging the last partition )
i now have a MASTER SD card / my slowest 8GB SD card / with the RASPBIAN image, updated and customized.
and when i need a new system i boot that / update again / use SD card copier tool from desktop menu.
* * the 2 variable points are later to be changed manually:
RPI_IP: change in dhcpcd.conf eth0: 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.103 and wlan0: 192.168.1.200 to 192.168.1.203
name: change with sudo raspi-config RPI0 to RPI3..
reboot
but still wanting a .img file i read it back to PC by win32 disk imager. ( a 8GB file ) and zip it down.
all runs well, but at forum more people have problems with the windows tools
possible all related with the latest
windows 10 / anniversary update / to
Windows 10, version 1607
+ + now can read / make partitions on USB drives and SD cards
- - but the old tools what are used to see only the first partition / but dealing with the full drive
now not work any more?
( i only have win7 SP0, so its lot of guesswork what i say about windows 10 )
but see this interesting update:
one of the latest forum posts is here
so i start to play about creating a .img file by RPI instead by win32 disk imager.
-1- a pre condition is that you have that space, minimal the size of the content of the system drive. use
* example on a system on a 32GB USB stick: df -Th and lsblk
so minimal needed 6GB / a image file on windows by win32diskimager would be 32GB / .zip 2.2GB /
-2- DD
the official way with linux dd
-- on PC or RPI
-- with the source in a USB card reader ( offline )
-- with the target a big empty system SD card or a other USB drive
and i found some smart command...
so need to test with a 2 commandline thing with separate .img and .img.zip again.
what i not have clear if the required space is different?
p.s. i got that command from official docu backup
-3- image-backup hereRONR introduces us to ?his? backup bash script
what can work on a running system and makes .img files.
so he give the warning: Do NOT create the backup image file on the running SD card
i not find any homepage / related forum post /
also CLI image-backup -h --help not work
and i learned the hard way
-a- if the target is a USB stick in FAT32 the created .img file will only be possible up to 4GB
-b- if i make ( gparted) it a EXT4 file system the win7 PC can not read it
-c- if i later format it back to FAT32 ( gparted) and just store the zipped file ( under 4GB )
the windows PC still refuse to read it ( and want format the stick )
-d- the image-backup tool does only
too late, i already trashed my NOOBS/PINN system camera tools setup.
but now i think i got it:
here at try 4th i do:
SOURCE: system SD 8GB ( my master RASPBIAN desktop ( from image / 2 partitions ) running
TARGET: 8GB USB stick (FAT32) #___-a- format USB stick to ext4 #___-b- image-backup #___-c- incremental backup #___-d- look inside that backup .img file ( like for restore one file only ) #___-e- reconfig SAMBA so windows PC can read that .img file #___-f- network transfer and zip to PC #___-g- burn to 16GB SD card with etcher and boot in RPI and increase file system
but i consider that all as TEMPORARY:
i hope that one day there might be a option in SD card copier tool "create .img file"
what even would work for NOOBS/PINN systems.
We use cookies on this site to allow login and enhance your user experience. By clicking any link on this page you are giving your consent for us to set cookies.