01.2013, debian 6.0.6
i used this procedure to backup and restore / move a linux based citrix xen vm to virtualbox. (acronis linux-full version made problems, windows/dos version was controlable but can only sector-copy a linux partition)
on the system that you want to backup you:
1. make shure you are root (#)
su
or
sudo bash
2. go to the root directory of your system
source: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BackupYourSystem/TAR
cd /
3. find out what is the uuid if your partitions
root@sourceServer:/# blkid
/dev/sda1: UUID=”46dd30aa-30d3-4e55-9a68-332d267227fb” TYPE=”ext4″
/dev/sda5: UUID=”05b0a62c-a61b-423e-b55c-6dec2cc3d1fc” TYPE=”swap”
save this to file:
root@sourceServer:/home/canoodle# blkid > blkid_source.txt
4. backup the system with tar
tar -cvpzf backup.tar.gz –exclude=/backup.tar.gz –exclude=/proc –exclude=/lost+found –exclude=/sys –exclude=/mnt –exclude=/media –exclude=/dev /
5. install miniaml debian linux on target system with ssh server
list of debian iso mirrors:
http://www.debian.org/CD/http-ftp/#mirrors
aptitude install ssh
passwd
-> give your root a password
6. scp backup.tar.gz root@targtSystemIP:/
( i recommend to have a copy of the backup.tar.gz. also somewhere else than the target system, just in case something goes wrong during the restore !!! do not immediately delete it from the source system )
restore backup
NOW JUST TO BE SHURE MAKE A SNAPSHOT OF YOUR TARGET WITH VIRTUALBOX
(so you can restore and correct if things won’t boot,go wrong, for some odd reasons if you abort the operation the backup.tar.gz IS ZERO!)
7. nohup tar -xvpzf /home/test/backup.tar.gz -C / &
(nohup = run also if session expires, & = run it as a job in background, so you can keep on doing some work)
recreate directories that were not backuped
8. mkdir /proc /lost+found /sys /mnt /media
DO NOT REBOOT NOW!
9. relabel (UUID) your root hd
(now that the backup is restored you can also check in
vim /boot/grub/grub.cfg
check with
blkid
what names the partitions have
tune2fs /dev/sda2 -U ‘46dd30aa-30d3-4e55-9a68-332d267227fb‘
or boot will fail like this
NOW JUST TO BE SHURE MAKE A SNAPSHOT OF YOUR TARGET WITH VIRTUALBOX
(so you can restore and correct if things won’t boot,go wrong)
also check that settings in fstab are correct
root@debian64template:~# blkid
/dev/sda2: UUID=”1b440b8f-9842-4e9d-b678-eabfd1f89484″ TYPE=”ext4″
/dev/sda3: UUID=”15b17cae-f290-4b59-92b6-09860dfa4d19″ TYPE=”swap”
10. after restore you will have to insert a linux-rescue-cd and make a fsck on your root device
i can really recommend knoppix,
download the iso: http://www.chip.de/downloads/Knoppix_13013232.html
it also “shows off” what a linux desktop can look like.
insert the iso into the virtual cd rom drive of your virtualbox target system and boot up to the desktop.
open a terminal window
hit
blkid
then when you know what is the root device
fsck -y /dev/sda2
now type
reboot
and hold your thumbs tight…
WOHOOO! DEBIAN COMING FROM CITRIX XEN, NOW BOOTING INTO VIRTUALBOX!
and because this was a lot of boring text: 
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