Copy your system

#!/bin/bash
# Makes a copy of the root partition files excluding all temporary directories
# copy-root <to_partition> e.g copy-root sda1

if [ "$1" == "" ]; then
echo please specify device e.g sdb1; exit;
fi
if [ `whoami` != root ]; then
echo Please run as root or sudo; exit
fi
mkdir /mnt/$1
umount /dev/$1
mount /dev/$1 /mnt/$1
sync

START=$(date +%s)
rsync -vaAxX /* /mnt/$1/ --delete --exclude-from=excludes.txt
FINISH=$(date +%s)
sync
echo "took $(( ($FINISH-$START) / 60 )) min:$(( ($FINISH-$START) % 60 )) sec."

Make sure you know the target device name eg. sdc1. You can find out by typing 'mount'.

Depending on how fast your drive is, the first copy should take between 5 to 30 mins.

The first time you use it will be longer. subsequent times will be much quicker because rsync won't need to copy files already there. This can be as fast as 30 secs.

#!/bin/bash
# prime-boot <to_partition> e.g prime-boot sda1

# Readies a partition for booting
# 1. priming attributes
# 2. copying over a valid mbr (optional)
# 3. copying /etc/fstab and opening to edit
# 4. copying /boot/extlinux and opening to edit extlinux.conf
# 5. displaying the disk uuid
# 6. displaying instructions to run extlinux

if [ "$1" == "" ]; then
echo please specify device e.g sdb1; exit;
fi
if [ `whoami` != root ]; then
echo Please run as root or sudo; exit
fi
mkdir /mnt/$1 2>/dev/null
umount /dev/$1 2>/dev/null
mount /dev/$1 /mnt/$1
sync
chmod 755 /mnt/$1
chown 999:999 /mnt/$1
echo not modifying MBR..
#cat mbr.bin > /dev/sdx
sync

cp -f --parents /etc/fstab /mnt/$1/
sync

chattr -i /mnt/$1/boot/extlinux/ldlinux.sys 2>/dev/null
rm -r /mnt/$1/boot/extlinux/* 2>/dev/null
cp -f --parents /boot/extlinux/* /mnt/$1/
sync

#----- ls -l /dev/disk/by-uuid | grep $1 | cut -d\ -f9-12
blkid | grep $1 | cut -d\ -f1-2

# featherpad is an editor - you may want to change it to something else
featherpad /mnt/$1/etc/fstab &
featherpad /mnt/$1/boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf &

cd /mnt/$1/boot/extlinux

#----------------------------
echo if no MBR, e.g "cat mbr.bin > /dev/sdb"
echo edit fstab and extlinux.conf, change the uuid as above.
echo then cd /mnt/$1/boot/extlinux and do extlinux -i .

# to remove ldlinux.sys , first chattr -i ldlinux.sys

Most drives will usually already have an MBR so that part is commented out.

(If you installed extlinux into the wrong directory and need to delete ldlinux.sys, first chattr -i ldlinux.sys.)

After changing the UUIDs in /etc/fstab and /mnt/<dev>/boot/extlinux.conf, you can update EXTlinux; i.e

cd /mnt/sdb1/boot/extlinux
extlinux -i .
don't forget the '.' at the end.

(see installing extlinux)

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid' to print the universally unique identifier for a
# device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name devices
# that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type> <options>       <dump> <pass>
proc            /proc           proc    nodev,noexec,nosuid 0       0
# / was on /dev/sda3 during installation
UUID=92c948c4-fcf7-4a98-86cb-a752678c5a40 /               ext4    errors=remount-ro 0       1