rsync - Dec 2002 - Replace local linux OS with rsynced linux OS?

Hi everyone, again. My question today is, how can i replace my development 
boxs' local OS with a resynced version of the production OS (which currently
has it's home on the dev box)? 

Say, for example (this is really how things are), I have production server 
and a development box, and i'd like work on the development box as if it was
the production box. (And make changes to the production box after tested and 
such on the dev box).

The dev box doesn't need to be in real time the same as the production 
server, i'd just like to INITIATE development on the same (or about the
same)
setup as is running in the "real world" on the production server. 

After the new OS is running, i'd like to be able to boot up and have the new
OS be mounted as root., but still then be able to mount the old dev box OS 
and copy files from it that were being developed previously...then remove the 
old dev OS all together. Make sense?

I know this will require chroot, and changing fstab? and stuff like that.... 
Has anyone done anything like this (or this exactly)? (A shell script 
possibly? or a better mailing list to be asking this question on?)

Specs:
	I'm running Red Hat 7.2 currently on both the dev and production box's.
	Hmm... What else?
		the dev and production box partitions are split into / (root) and /boot 
only. 
		the latest rsync of the production server is in 
/home/backup/production_cpserver_com/hourly.0/ (meaning, if i chrooted to 
that location, i would have a completely function version of the production 
box)
		Anything else?


	Thanks in advanced! and a bundle!
		-Chris

On Sat, Dec 14, 2002 at 12:41:51PM -0600, Dr. Poo wrote:
> Hi everyone, again. My question today is, how can i replace my development 
> boxs' local OS with a resynced version of the production OS (which
currently
> has it's home on the dev box)? 
I do it all the time! :-)

Obviously you'll probably need an exclude list as the IP address/hostname of
the dev box will differ (I assume) from your production box, but unlike
Windows, all files will go over fine. Just make sure you re-run lilo (if
that's your boot manager) after the rsync otherwise you won't be able to
reboot :-)

[BTW. exclude /proc]
> After the new OS is running, i'd like to be able to boot up and have
the new
> OS be mounted as root., but still then be able to mount the old dev box OS 
> and copy files from it that were being developed previously...then remove
the
> old dev OS all together. Make sense?
> 
> I know this will require chroot, and changing fstab? and stuff like
that....
> Has anyone done anything like this (or this exactly)? (A shell script 
> possibly? or a better mailing list to be asking this question on?)
Ahh - trust you to make it harder :-)

You can't chroot at boot time - doesn't really make any sense. All I can
think of is that your dev box will need more partitions that the production
box, and use lilo to choose between booting off the dev or the production
image:

e..g

production box running 2.4.18 with /dev/hda1 as / and /dev/hda2 as swap

dev box running 2.4.20 with /dev/hdb1 as root and /dev/hdb2 as /

Then configure lilo to boot off /dev/hda1 for production (and therefore
/etc/fstab on /dev/hda1 refers to /dev/hda* partitions). When booting off
/dev/hdb1, the fstab in there refers to /dev/hdb* partitions.

Then when booted under dev, you can mount the production partition under
"/mnt" and rsync the live system onto it, etc.

...should work :-)
-- 
Cheers

Jason Haar
Information Security Manager, Trimble Navigation Ltd.
Phone: +64 3 9635 377 Fax: +64 3 9635 417
PGP Fingerprint: 7A2E 0407 C9A6 CAF6 2B9F 8422 C063 5EBB FE1D 66D1