Arch Linux

yoman3d

Member

Registered: 2011-11-11

Posts: 7

Need help creating installation media

Hello, I need some help.
I have installed arch, with kde, and I've been working on it couple weeks until finally configured the way I like it, and everything works fine (wireless, sound, video etc...)
Now I would like to create an install CD (or backub or ISO or whatever) that contains my current system as it is right now, with everything I have, including all the packages, and conky, and wallpaper, and network manager, and all the config files, I mean everything...
So if I want to format my harddisk, I can put back my system as it is now...
Is it possible?
And if it is, then how?

KingX

Member

From: CA

Registered: 2010-03-24

Posts: 324

Re: Need help creating installation media

One thing you can try is create a tar archive of /home and /etc, then use these pacman tips to create a list of packages that you have currently installed. You can then use this list to install the packages on a fresh install. Even in /etc/ just backup the config files you need like for your wifi setup, xorg.conf and maybe rc.conf and leave the rest as they may change down the line. Your home partition contains the necessary settings for KDE, wallpaper and conky.

You should try this method in a virtual machine and see how well it works and what needs to be tweaked around. You don't want to backup "everything" (as in /bin /boot /tmp /var) as a fresh install will more than likely conflict with your backup files if you do intend to use them later.

biltong

Member

From: South Africa

Registered: 2011-09-01

Posts: 118

Re: Need help creating installation media

Maybe dd your drive to make an exact image of your drive? Not sure how well you can compress that though.

yoman3d

Member

Registered: 2011-11-11

Posts: 7

Re: Need help creating installation media

So far, I did what KingX wrote... Now I'm experimenting with Arch+Xfce... Who knows, maybe it will turn out better then with KDE.
I'm trying to build a system that uses the less system resources, so my battery could last longer...
With Windows 7 i had 2 and a half hour with a full charge, and with Arch i had only 1h 40min even with battery manger.