Hey folks, I'm transitioning from Windows and recently set up a 200 GB partition on my E: drive for CachyOS. I've installed quite a few applications and would like to avoid reinstalling everything if I need to wipe my drives. Is there a way to back up the data on this partition so I can easily restore it later? I'm new to this, so I would appreciate detailed guidance. Let me know if this belongs in a different forum!
2 Answers
Absolutely, there's a way, but if you're asking, it might be simpler to just do a fresh install with the correct partition size. If you've got time, consider that option instead.
You can use the CLI tool `dd` to create a bit-for-bit copy of your filesystem. Just keep in mind that it's quite complex: you'll have to manage partitions, format drives, and ensure UUIDs are unique to avoid conflicts. I recommend reinstalling CachyOS and transferring your configs instead—it’s a lot less risky!
So, if I copy the `.config` folder, does it keep my app settings and file locations? Are there aspects of my setup that won’t transfer over? Also, I heard Limine has snapshots. Do you know any other easy backup solutions?