Problems creating Images of Linux Ext3 Partition

Since installation of Linux (Ubuntu Feisty 7.04) I created with TrueImage 10 each week an image of the Ext3 partition. As I initiated a further image yesterday, the behavior changed significantly: The image was made, but it had double the size as a week ago and it took 10 times longer (around 1 hour for a 10 GB image file).

The only difference compared to the behavior before are some system updates, which were installed automatically by Ubuntu. The used partition space is around 5 GB - much smaller than the resulting image.

To solve the problem, I deleted all possible files (trash, thumbnails, apt-get autoclean) - without any success. The Linux file system has now a size of 3 GB, but the resulting image is still 10 GB big and it needs around 1 hour to be created.

What causes TI to have this behavior, and how can I solve the problem?

Karl

 

What size is the Ubuntu partition?

Have you checked the partition for errors? (I think it's fschk)

Does TI still show the partition correctly as Ext3 or does it show an error on the partition?

Where are you backing up to? USB hard drive? Internal drive?

 

<What size is the Ubuntu partition?>

70GB.

<Does TI still show the partition correctly as Ext3 or does it show an error on the partition?>

TI did recognize the partition correctly as Ext3.

<Where are you backing up to? USB hard drive? Internal drive?>

Both, on USB an on an internal harddisk. The problem is the same.

<Have you checked the partition for errors? (I think it's fschk)>

I have not did it manually, but as I booted this morning, Ubuntu showed errors in its file system, which could not be corrected by the automatic correction procedure (which is using fschk). I do not know, whether this was result of my cleaning attemps (deleting of thousands of thumbnails, trash, autoclean etc.) or whether it was related to the original problem (big image files after some automatic Ubuntu system updates).
The new situation forced me, to restore a two weeks old TI image. This image started with an error message concerning the root system, but this time the automatic correction worked and Ubuntu started afterwards correctly.

I am very confused now, because I do not know, whether TI or Ubuntu has caused the problem.

Karl

 

Run a backup and see if it works as before or if the same problem happens. Perhaps you can pin it down, if it was an Ubuntu update that caused the problem. Maybe you could do a backup before updating and then one afterwards and see if there's a difference.

I asked about the partition size because I was wondering if TI was doing a sector-by-sector backup because it didn't recognize the partition correctly. This does not seem to be the case, though, as it was only backing up 10GB out of 70GB.

The fact that it took 10 times longer to backup 2 times the amount is odd. Just backing up twice as much should have only resulted in twice the time.

I assume you're booting from the rescue cd to do the backups. Or are you dual-booting with Windows and backing up the Ubuntu partition from there?

 

<Run a backup and see if it works as before or if the same problem happens. Perhaps you can pin it down, if it was an Ubuntu update that caused the problem.>

After restoring the two weeks old image I created now a new image - and TI works, as I was used it (normal image size of 5 GB, around 7 minutes duration.

After rethinking the circumstances and reading a lot of threads I believe, that a reset of Ubuntu could have damaged the file system. Other users reported such problems. Other than under windows, there are often situatuions, were Ubuntu can only be finished by a hard reset (power off).


<I assume you're booting from the rescue cd to do the backups. Or are you dual-booting with Windows and backing up the Ubuntu partition from there?>

The only way for restoring the working image was using the TI rescue CD, because after the last boot problem, TI under Windows did not recognize the Ext3 partition.

Thanks
Karl

 

If the OP is including the verify time, then subsequent backups could take a lot longer if the TIB files are fragmented. This will slow down the verify.

I, too, have installed Ubuntu 7.04. But te installation is temporary, so I have not paid attention tobackup times.

I will be, shortly, installing Ubuntu 7.04 on a new hard drive, and removing the old install, then I'll progressively add apps. I'll keep an eye on the backup times.