OK to swap Linux drive to different machine?

[kylef]

I'm booting with a default Mandrake kernel using Grub. I want to put this hard drive in another machine and use it for Linux. Are there any issues with doing this?

I know that I'll need to reconfigure my X server, and I can manage that OK. But what about the /dev filesystem... will the kernel rebuild that when it boots and finds the devices on the other motherboard?

Usually swapping a drive with Windows requires a format/reinstall and I'm trying to avoid that, since I've got Linux configured EXACTLY the way I want it right now!

Thanks for any pointers.

 

[fivepesos]

what does your /etc/fstab say on mandrake?

and your /etc/grub.conf

both of those should need to be adjusted if your moving the harddirve unless your moving it the same channel. ie from primary master to primary master.

 

[kylef]

Right. I'm not worried about getting the OS to boot, 'cause I've got experience with that. I'm pretty handy with fstab as well.

I just want to make sure that there aren't any kernel "issues" which have been installed specific to the hardware devices in my current box (like sound card, PCI bridge, etc) that will be all messed up when I swap the drive to a different box.

Yes, the drive is going from primary master to primary master. So I don't think fstab will even need to be changed. It's the only HD in the system in both boxes... And in both boxes there is a single ATAPI CD-ROM as secondary master.

And there is only one OS on the drive, and that's Linux. So I don't even think Grub needs to be altered. But I COULD be wrong, because I've gotten burned messing with my hardware in Linux before. I got the dreaded "LI" bootup message... I'm hoping that Grub will be nicer than Lilo...

Thanks for the help!

 

[Nothinman]

I've switched from dual Celeron on IDE disks to a single Athlon system with SCSI disks without any issues other than making sure the proper controller was supported in the kernel and fstab changes.

If grub can't find it's stage2 loader it'll give you a command line so you can still boot Linux after you find the kernel (it's got tab completion so it'll be easier) so it won't strand you like LILO. I'd still keep a boot disk handy though, just in case.

 

[fivepesos]

<< I just want to make sure that there aren't any kernel "issues" which have been installed specific to the hardware devices in my current box (like sound card, PCI bridge, etc) that will be all messed up when I swap the drive to a different box. >>



that depends if your kernel has support for the devices in the new system. if you are running stock mandrake kernel than the answer is almost certainly YES.

if the kernel doesnt support certain hardware, just compile support for it. read the Kernel Howto or something like that.

but i bet you wont have any problems.

 

[kylef]

Thank you, gentlemen. I will proceed as scheduled!

 

[smp]

I've moved a hard drive off of an old board onto a BX board. I kept my two NICs though from the old set up, everything worked.

 

[BlackOmen]

If you're still using the Mandrake supplied kernel, then you shouldn't have any problem at all. Kudzu will detect the hardware changes and apply the necessary changes to the kernel/modules.

And grub is much nicer than lilo.