Knoppix Linux rescue: Four Tough Lessons of System Recovery

Posted by Vivek Gite [Last updated: September 1, 2006]

I have already written about how to save (recover) data from crashed disks with dd and ddrescue command, and repairing ReiserFS file system with reiserfsck

KIVILCIM Hindistan recently migrated to a new laptop and promptly destroyed his partition table. Flailing around with false laziness taught him the true value of true laziness. Here's a real-life tale of Knoppix rescue and a cautionary tale about troubleshooting. I hope someone will find this experience and howto useful in similar conditions.

FTA, "Last week, I received a brand new laptop with 1.5Gb RAM, a 100GB SATA HD, and a 15.4-inch wide screen, brightview display. It has basically all the technical gizmos that can spoil a new employee.

The computer came to me installed with Windows XP Pro. My game plan was to transfer my files via a USB disk to the NTFS partition and then transfer my second partition which is Debian Sarge (so-called) Unstable, and keep up with my regular business.

I turned red. I had just wiped the partition that contained my backup data and the installation files of my laptop. Fortunately, my boot partition was still there, so I just had to collect my backup data (some 60GB) from different computers and copy them again, which looked like half a day or so of work."