How To Install Clonezilla on openSUSE

Backing up your system is one of the most crucial yet often overlooked aspects of system administration. Whether you’re a system administrator managing multiple machines or an individual user concerned about data integrity, having a reliable backup solution is essential. Clonezilla stands out as a powerful, open-source disk imaging and cloning tool that provides robust functionality for openSUSE users. This comprehensive guide will walk you through various methods to install Clonezilla on openSUSE and help you leverage its capabilities for effective system backup and restoration.

Table of Contents

Understanding Clonezilla

Clonezilla is a partition and disk imaging/cloning program similar to proprietary solutions like Norton Ghost, but with the advantage of being free and open-source. It’s designed to help with system deployment, bare metal backup, and recovery. The software comes in two main versions:

Clonezilla Live: A bootable distribution that can be run from external media like CD/DVD or USB drives without installation on your system. It’s perfect for individual machine backup and restoration.
Clonezilla Server Edition (SE): Integrated with DRBL (Diskless Remote Boot in Linux), this version is designed for mass deployment scenarios where you need to clone multiple machines simultaneously.

Clonezilla supports various file systems including ext2, ext3, ext4, reiserfs, xfs, jfs, btrfs, f2fs, nilfs2, FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, HFS+, UFS, minix, and VMFS3/5. It also works with both MBR and GPT partition formats and supports LVM2 volumes and LUKS-encrypted partitions.

Benefits of Clonezilla for openSUSE Users

Native Compatibility: Clonezilla works seamlessly with the file systems commonly used in openSUSE installations, ensuring reliable backups.
Resource Efficiency: It’s designed to be lightweight and can operate efficiently even on older hardware.
Cost-Effective: As a free alternative to commercial solutions, Clonezilla provides enterprise-level functionality without the price tag.
Flexibility: It offers multiple deployment methods that integrate well with openSUSE’s ecosystem.
Comprehensive Backup: Beyond simple file backups, Clonezilla creates complete disk or partition images that capture everything, including boot sectors and system configurations.

Prerequisites for Installation

Administrative privileges (root access) on your openSUSE system
An internet connection for repository-based installation
Sufficient disk space for both the Clonezilla software and your backup images
Basic familiarity with terminal commands
Backup of important data (as a precaution before any system-level changes)

For optimal performance, a system with at least 196MB of RAM is recommended, though more RAM will improve performance during compression operations.

Method 1: Installing Clonezilla via Repository

Step 1: Add the Clonezilla Repository

Open a terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T and enter the following command to add the Clonezilla repository:

sudo zypper addrepo -f "http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/filesystems:/clonezilla/openSUSE_Leap_15.2/" clonezilla

This adds the official Clonezilla repository to your system’s package sources. If you’re using a different version of openSUSE Leap, replace “15.2” with your version number.

Step 2: Update Repository Information

sudo zypper refresh

Step 3: Install Clonezilla

sudo zypper install clonezilla

The package manager will resolve dependencies automatically and install all required components.

Step 4: Verify Installation

clonezilla --version

This command should display the version information for your Clonezilla installation.

Method 2: Creating and Using Clonezilla Live USB

Step 1: Download Clonezilla Live ISO

Visit the official Clonezilla website and download the latest stable ISO image for Clonezilla Live. You’ll find options for both 32-bit and 64-bit architectures; choose according to your system requirements.

Step 2: Create a Bootable USB Drive

In openSUSE, you can create a bootable USB drive using various tools. One recommended approach is using the dd command:

Insert your USB drive and identify its device name using:
```
lsblk
```
Note the device path (e.g., /dev/sdb).
Unmount any mounted partitions on the USB drive:
```
sudo umount /dev/sdXY
```
Replace X with your device letter and Y with the partition number.
Write the ISO to the USB drive:
```
sudo dd if=/path/to/clonezilla-live.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress
```
Replace /path/to/clonezilla-live.iso with the actual path to your downloaded ISO file and /dev/sdX with your USB drive path (WITHOUT partition number).
Flush the write buffers to ensure all data is written:
```
sudo sync
```

Alternatively, you can use graphical tools like SUSE Image Writer:

Install it if not already available:
```
sudo zypper install imagewriter
```
Launch the application, select your ISO file and target USB device, then click “Write”.

Step 3: Boot from the USB Drive

Insert the USB drive into the computer you want to backup or restore.
Restart the computer and access the boot menu (typically by pressing F12, F2, or ESC during startup, depending on your system).
Select the USB drive as the boot device.
When Clonezilla Live boots, select “Clonezilla live (Default settings, VGA 800×600)” from the menu.
Follow the on-screen prompts to select language, keyboard layout, and other preferences.

Method 3: Installing Clonezilla on Hard Drive

Step 1: Partition Preparation

Use YaST or another partitioning tool to create a dedicated partition for Clonezilla (at least 2GB is recommended).
Format the partition with ext4 file system.

Step 2: Extract Clonezilla Live to the Partition

Mount your Clonezilla Live media (USB or ISO).
Copy all files from the Clonezilla Live media to your dedicated partition:
```
sudo cp -av /path/to/mounted/clonezilla/* /path/to/dedicated/partition/
```

Step 3: Configure Boot Loader

Open YaST > Boot Loader.
Add a new entry pointing to the Clonezilla installation.
Set the kernel and initrd paths to point to your Clonezilla partition.
Save your changes and exit YaST.

Basic Configuration After Installation

Language and Keyboard Settings

When starting Clonezilla, you’ll be prompted to select your language and keyboard layout. For most users, the default “en_US.UTF-8 English” and “Keep the default keyboard layout” options are sufficient, but select according to your preferences.

Default Save Locations

Clonezilla allows you to save disk images to various locations:

Local storage devices
SSH servers
Samba file shares
NFS servers
WebDAV servers

To configure a default save location that persists between sessions:

Launch Clonezilla with expert mode.
Choose your preferred save location type.
Enter the necessary connection details.
Select the option to save these settings for future use.

Creating Your First Disk Image

Launch Clonezilla (either from the installed application or by booting from your Live media).
Select “Start Clonezilla” from the main menu.
Choose between “device-image” (to back up to an image file) or “device-device” (for direct disk-to-disk cloning).
For device-image mode, select where to save your image (local_dev, ssh_server, samba_server, nfs_server).
Mount your target storage device when prompted.
Select the source disk or partitions to back up:
- “savedisk” for entire disk backup
- “saveparts” for specific partitions
Name your backup image (avoid spaces and special characters).
Choose your compression level:
- “z1p” (fast, less compression)
- “z2p” (medium compression and speed)
- “z3p” (slower, better compression)
Select whether to check the file system before backing up.
Choose whether to encrypt your backup (recommended for sensitive data).
Confirm your selections and start the imaging process.

Clonezilla will display progress information as it performs the backup. Large disks may take considerable time, especially with higher compression levels.

Restoring Images on openSUSE

Boot from your Clonezilla media.
Select “Start Clonezilla” from the main menu.
Choose the same method you used for backup (device-image or device-device).
Navigate to and select the backup image location.
Choose “restoredisk” for full disk restoration or “restoreparts” for specific partitions.
Select the image to restore.
Select the target disk or partition (WARNING: This will overwrite all data on the target).
Confirm the operation when prompted.

After restoration completes, you’ll need to restart your system. If you’re restoring to new hardware, you might need additional configuration:

sudo grub2-install /dev/sdX
sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg

Replace /dev/sdX with your boot drive identifier.

Advanced Features for openSUSE Users

Command-line Automation

For scripted or scheduled backups, Clonezilla can be run entirely from the command line:

sudo clonezilla -b -c -q -j2 -z1p saveparts mybackup sda1 sda2

This example backs up partitions sda1 and sda2 with medium compression, skipping the interactive interface.

Network-based Cloning

Configure both source and target machines to boot from Clonezilla Live.
On the source machine, select “Clonezilla server” mode.
On target machines, select “Clonezilla client” mode.
Follow the prompts to establish the network connection and begin cloning.

Integration with YaST

Create a shell script wrapper for your common Clonezilla operations.
Use YaST’s external programs module to create a menu entry for your script.
Configure appropriate permissions and dependencies.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Cloned Drive Won’t Boot

This is a common issue when cloning openSUSE systems. If your cloned drive won’t boot:

Check drive positioning: The drive order may affect bootability. The reason why cloned drives often won’t boot is that there may be uncloned drives in the system that take the positions of /dev/sda or /dev/sdb, but don’t have correct entries in fstab and GRUB.
Solution: Change the cabling to make the cloned drive the first one (/dev/sda) both during cloning and after restoration.

Reinstall GRUB: Boot from a live USB and reinstall GRUB to the cloned drive:

sudo mount /dev/sdXY /mnt
sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
sudo mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys
sudo chroot /mnt
grub2-install /dev/sdX
grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg
exit
sudo umount /mnt/dev /mnt/proc /mnt/sys /mnt

Repository Access Problems

Verify your internet connection.
Check the repository URL for your specific openSUSE version.

Try an alternative mirror:

sudo zypper modifyrepo --url https://mirror.example.com/path/to/repo clonezilla

Permission and Access Restrictions

Verify network connectivity with ping or traceroute.
Check file permissions on target storage.
Ensure proper authentication credentials are provided.
Check firewall settings on both source and target systems.

Performance Optimization

Compression Level Selection

-z0: No compression – fastest, but requires more storage space
-z1: Low compression – good balance for modern systems
-z2: Medium compression – default option
-z3: High compression – slower but saves space
-z4: Very high compression – best for limited storage scenarios

Network Transfer Optimizations

Use wired connections when possible.

Increase network buffer sizes:

sudo sysctl -w net.core.wmem_max=16777216
sudo sysctl -w net.core.rmem_max=16777216

For large deployments, consider multicast mode to save bandwidth.

SSD-Specific Considerations

Use the -icds option to skip checking disk space.
Enable TRIM support when appropriate.
Consider using lower compression levels as SSDs typically have faster read speeds but compression can be CPU-intensive.

Security Considerations

Image Encryption

Select the encryption option during backup creation.
Use a strong, unique password.
Store the password securely – without it, your backup will be unrecoverable.

Network Security

Use SSH for encrypted transfers.
Avoid unencrypted protocols like FTP.
Consider setting up dedicated VLANs for backup traffic.
Use key-based authentication rather than passwords when possible.

Best Practices for openSUSE Users

Regular Scheduling: Create a consistent backup schedule and stick to it.
Versioning: Maintain multiple versions of backups (daily, weekly, monthly).
Testing: Regularly test your ability to restore from backups in a safe environment.
Documentation: Keep records of your backup procedures and restoration steps.
Storage Diversity: Store backups in multiple locations, following the 3-2-1 rule (3 copies, 2 different media types, 1 off-site).
Verify Backups: Use Clonezilla’s verification features to ensure backup integrity.

Use Cases and Scenarios

System Migration

Create a full disk image of your current system.
Restore to the new hardware.
Update drivers as needed for new components.

Disaster Recovery

Create regular images of critical systems.
Store images on external media and off-site locations.
Document restoration procedures for quick recovery.

Mass Deployment

Create a reference installation with all required software.
Use Clonezilla SE to deploy to multiple machines simultaneously.
Customize post-deployment with scripts to set unique identifiers.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Clonezilla. Thanks for using this tutorial to install the latest version of the Clonezilla partition and disk on openSUSE Linux. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official Clonezilla website.

VPS Manage Service Offer

If you don’t have time to do all of this stuff, or if this is not your area of expertise, we offer a service to do “VPS Manage Service Offer”, starting from $10 (Paypal payment). Please contact us to get the best deal!