Is there a way to get Zorin OS set up the way you want it, then create a boot USB from that?
Then, if you mess up Zorin OS somehow, all you have to do is boot from your Zorin OS Ultimate Boot USB stick, select "Install Zorin OS", let it run, and you're back to the exact set up that you want.
This would be better than any backup program... it'd let you boot from a USB stick into the same Zorin OS setup as you normally use, then reinstall that same exact setup should something go wrong with the installed OS.
If you make a change to Zorin OS, it'd be a simple matter to create the boot USB again with the new setup.
A side advantage is that the boot USB can be saved as a file with .ISO format, allowing you to keep multiple copies as you make changes, then burn the desired .ISO file to a USB stick, boot from it, then install that setup.
I could be wrong but I do almost the same thing with Rescuezilla as it is on a bootable USB stick ..... and as I backup to it using a USB HD every week or so there is always a fresh copy of my complete Zorin Drive available ....
Just a thought ..... Rescuezilla is a less complicated version of Clonezilla the ....
Is there a way, yes, is it easy no, you need all the dev libraries, headers and kernel dkms (so it will work live off any usb and on any pc) and need image your install into squash fs so it can be mounted live. Then build into a iso/usb using casper/grub hierarchy
Clonezilla, Rescuezilla, or RedoRescue are easier, faster and better approaches. And recommended
Well, I was just thinking... I was doing an offline backup (booted to the Zorin OS USB, which I keep plugged into a USB hub, so all I have to do to boot from it is hit F9) with dd chained to 7z. I wanted to compare that to taking a drive image in the Disks application, then zipping it, so I installed Xarchiver.
I got to thinking, "It sure would be nice if the tools used were installed on the Zorin OS boot USB stick."... then I got to thinking, "It sure would be nice to be able to walk up to any computer, plug a USB stick in, and boot Zorin OS as you've got it configured."... then I got to thinking, "The USB stick is burned from a .ISO file, so the .ISO file could be the file format used to back up the entire OS! That would let us not only run our Zorin OS from any computer in a pinch, it'd let you save backups that you could roll back to... perhaps via Ventoy so you've got several iterations of backups available, and it'd let you migrate everything over to a new computer simply by booting the USB then selecting 'Install Zorin OS'.".
And that's why I asked. Something like that would put Zorin OS so far over the top of Windows.
Rescuezilla is not the offspring of Clonezilla. True it uses portions of clonezilla but is actually an updated rewrite of another Dev's application, redobackup that was abandoned.
[I still have a Remastersys image of an old notebook I made of Ultimate Edition 3.0 xfce on one CD, but no longer have the notebook].
In respect of walking up to any pc and booting off your DVD/USB iso would universally not be possible due to admin BIOS restrictions set by Network Admins.
Thank you I stand corrected ..... and have corrected my post above .... outstanding twice in 2 days .... there will be no more ....
Rescuezilla
Rescuezilla is an easy-to-use disk cloning and imaging application that's fully compatible with Clonezilla — the industry-standard trusted by tens of millions.
Yes, Rescuezilla is the Clonezilla GUI (graphical user interface) that you might have been looking for. But Rescuezilla is more than a Clonezilla GUI!
Disk imaging is the process of making a backup of your computer's hard drive which is managed as files stored on an external hard drive, and 'disk cloning' is the process of making a direct copy without needing a third drive for temporary storage.
For many people, the alternative open-source tools such as Clonezilla are intimidating and difficult to use, so Rescuezilla provides an easy-to-use graphical environment like the leading commercial tools, Acronis True Image and Macrium Reflect.
It's worth noting that hard drive imaging and cloning is a very specialized task that's not necessarily the best solution for every user: it's worth researching whether a traditional file-based backup approach is more suitable for the specific problem you are looking to solve.
Rescuezilla can be booted on any PC or Mac from a USB stick, and has been carefully developed to be fully interoperable with the Clonezilla. This means Rescuezilla can restore backups created by Clonezilla, and backups created by Rescuezilla can be restored using Clonezilla!
Rescuezilla was forked from Redo Backup and Recovery (now called Redo Rescue) because it had been abandoned for 7 years. Rescuezilla is more than a trivial fork: it has been carefully rebuilt from the ground up to be fully compatible with the industry-standard Clonezilla.