|
From: Ian J. <ia...@da...> - 2003-04-08 21:53:32
|
Szakacsits Szabolcs writes ("Re: [Linux-NTFS-Dev] Implementing ntfsimage"):
> Mine saves to a sparse file either explictely given on the command line or
> outputs to stdout. It can also save only metadata. In both cases the image
> can be mounted by the NTFS driver or used by the ntfsprogs tools. With
> tar/bzip2 it can be compressed extremely well. The fs consistency also
> checked.
I don't think a sparse file is really the right answer for what I
think ntfsimage is good for - although I can see it being useful when
you want an optimised disk-to-disk copy.
What I want is the ability to produce a stream representation of the
original filesystem, eg for backup.
> > produces a file of some kind, but no restore utility. I haven't
>
> Is it really needed? Making the image:
> ntfsimage -o ntfs.img device
> restoring:
> ntfsimage -o device ntfs.img
If there is no separate image format then indeed you don't need a
restore utility. But, if you want a stream image format suitable for
writing to tapes, file transfer, etc., then you have to have a decoder
as well as an encoder.
I tend to think that sparse files are a bit of an anachronism, really.
Using them makes assumptions about things that are really no business
of a userland program relying on the UN*X filesystem abstraction.
Perhaps others will disagree, and perhaps filesystem manipulation
tools have a case for messing around in these murky areas in between
layers. But, even if a tool like your ntfsimage exists, I still think
something like my one needs to exist too (and quite likely they'll
want to share code, of course).
> I wrote already one for a while ago. I didn't sent it yet because it needs
> some cleanup for public use and nobody requested for it. On the contrary,
> people constantly ask for other things [being also worked on].
If you could send me the code you do have, it might help me at least
check that I'm doing roughly the right thing. I've been trying to
write production-quality suitable-for-public-release code from the
start, but any additional code or information can only help.
Thanks,
Ian.
|
