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sharjeel
Asked: 2010-11-21 04:54:08 +0800 CST

How do I duplicate a server's packages and configuration to another machine? [duplicate]

  • 772

I have a production server running Ubuntu. I would like to setup similar configuration installed on my local machine. I'd like to have same packages installed.

Since bandwidth is a constraint the traditional disk cloning methods won't work for me. Having same packages installed and same users with same passwords created would be wonderful; I'll tweak the rest of the things manually.

Is there a good solution for my requirements?

package-management configuration-management

5 Answers

  1. Best Answer
    dpkg --get-selections > packlist.txt  
cat packlist.txt | dpkg --set-selections  
dselect install

    For details on this command, check here on joys of programming

    If you need the same users and passwords you should grab /etc/group /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow

    If you need the user data you need to copy /home (it's usually HUGE, so it was left out of the original post)

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  2. Install aptoncd. 

    sudo apt-get install aptoncd   
aptoncd

    Select the packages, create iso, take to other machine, install aptoncd, and then restore from iso.

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  3. You can use remastersys Install remastersys for that. Remastersys can make a full system backup including personal data to a live CD or DVD that you can use anywhere and install.

    For reference see the posts below:

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  4. I haven't tried clonezilla myself, and I hardly know how it works, but what I've been told so far is that you should be able to make an exact copy of your system, and I guess you should be able to install the copy as well.

    you can read about Clonezilla here

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  5. I'm sure there is a better solution but maybe this fits your needs: capistrano install capistrano

    See here on GitHub for more information.

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