Basically, what I need is knowing how to transfer my main Zorin installation from the old and small 256GB Kioxia nvme ssd my computer came with to the Crucial 1TB BX5000 sata ssd that I got. Then, once again from the BX5000 to the new WD Blue 1TB SN580 nvme ssd after I swap it with the Kioxia.
Hardware wise, I'm using a used Dell XPS 15 9550 that I bought for cheap. For my eventual purposes the 256GB Kioxia it came with is too small. Don't worry about hitting me with a lot of steps. I already understand that doing this is a pain in the rear to do. And I need to do it twice!
Sorry about the late response. Getting to the topic, I have seen that clonezilla is oft given as a solution for this type of stuff. But I'm of the understanding that Linux doesn't particularly like straight drag and dropping whole drives, much less the os installation. I'm referring to stuff like the UUID and how Linux needs that to be intact. Switching drives results in a new UUID for the new drive and you got to edit the necessary txt files for the os to detect it for various things. Otherwise your installation is shot.
Wouldn’t it be easier just to reinstall Zorin on the new drive? Then all you need to worry about is your data files that you can copy using any of the usual methods.
If you clone an entire drive using Clonezilla, the UUID will be the same. That comes with the partition table of the drive, and you'd be effectively copying it as is. The new system will be the old system, on a different drive.
But I would also prefer to just install from scratch, restoring whatever configuration files and other personal data you have from the previous, smaller drive.
After setting things up once in one of the drives, you can still clone it onto the other 1 TB drive, so it's not all lost. However, this is actually not as quick of a process, so I'm not really sure it's worth it if saving time is the goal.
If it were me, I would also install the OS on the new drive, and just backup the data. Make sure the new drive is formatted EXT4 GPT though.
The last time I used Clonezilla to make a backup copy of the whole drive, to put on a new drive, first chance it could fling a not happening error in my face (during restore process), it did, and went nowhere, so I have 0-faith in Clonezilla.
Okay, I seem to get the solution. So, I simply create a Backup folder through Deja Dups, then flash an instalation on a USB drive? Should add a bit more here. The laptop i'm using only has one (1) nvme slot and sata too. That's what I mentioned why this makes things difficult. But I do understand anything on Linux can take time. So no, I'm not asking to save time. I'm asking how you get this done. Time isn't a factor. Thought I mentioned that in the op.
Moving along, from the beginning, once the install drive and backup are squared away, I'm physically taking out the smaller nvme and swapping it with the bigger one. After that, I boot from the live usb, install Zorin on the new nvme and restore the backup from Deja Dups on a separate usb flash.
Does this all work? Or is there anything else I need to do?
Well, new problem. I went ahead and got all this done as mentioned in my last post. But I hit a snag. Looks like a weird bug some people have been encountering.
For context, I used BalenaEtcher to create a Zorin 18 Pro live usb on a fresh new SanDisk Ultra 64GB USB Flash Drive. Then I went and removed my old nvme with the old os still on it, then swapped it out with the new one. The computer does detect it. Here’s the problem
When I went to use the live usb to install Zorin 18, it had a frankly weird error. It was the usual “pkg can’t be read as its damaged” message but the log that’s supposed to show what was damaged was completely empty. Blank.
Problem is this error causes a weird immediate finishing of the installation. So, I’m not sure if it’s corrupt. Regardless, every time I finish the install and reboot (Done this twice now). There’s no bootdrive. The EFI partition is there. But there’s nothing detected by the motherboard. Can’t boot into Zorin as a result. Like there’s no bootdrive, The live usb is detected fine and dandy, but the installed copy very much is not.
In my computer’s boot loader. There is no Zorin. Yet it very much is on the new nvme. Any idea what the hell happened?
How is the USB Stick formatted? Maybe try it with a smaller one that You can format to FAT32. And instead of Etcher, You could try Rufus if You should have a Windows Machine available.
Sorry about the wait. I was able to troubleshoot my issue.
For some reason? The modern Nvidia drivers might have been giving me issue. Both of my initial installs unpacked those drivers. But when I went and did it a third time. Doing a normal Zorin install, it worked perfectly. No issues at all.
For context, the laptop has a GeForce 960m in it. But otherwise no issues. No need to reply any further. Thanks all for the advice.
