Moving to another filesystem and partition layout

[nxsty]

My server is using a reiserfs as it's main filesystem and with various partitions for /var, /home, root etc. I would like to move to ext3 or xfs as reiserfs consumes too much CPU on my crappy server and have everything on a single root partition.

What do you think?
Would it suffice to add another harddrive, boot with a livecd, mount the partitions, just cp -r over everything to the second harddrive, repartition and reformat the main driver and then cp -r everything back?

Thanks

[nahpets]

I was able to change from reiserfs to ext3 by copying over my root partition to another partition on the same drive and then updating /etc/fstab, so I think you should be able to do it also.

FYI: I think you'd want to use 'cp -a' instead of 'cp -r'.
_________________
Let me guess, you picked out yet another colorful box with a crank that I'm expected to turn and turn until OOP! big shock, a jack pops out and you laugh and the kids laugh and the dog laughs and I die a little inside.

[RuiP]

Hi,
i copied my system several times with cp -a (more or less for running away from reiserfs too), never had a problem.
That's how i make my backups and (re)install my tests ~x86 system (when i done too much experimental things on them and they dye i simple cp -a the stable working one and i can go seach for more testings again.)

cp is a wonderfull tool. But i don't use -r flag. I don't understood completly the man page, but sounds weird on that flag.
Just my 2c.

bye.

(beated by 2 mn )

[nxsty]

Thanks! I'll try that.

The man page description of cp -r and -R looks weird indeed. "Copy directories recursively, and do something unspecified with objects other than ordinary files or directories." What the hell does that mean?

[pteppic]

The -R switch is included as part of the -a switch.
I prefer cp -axuv for backups...
I have a very basic script to check all the files were copied too, if anyone wants it, rm -rf * always makes me nervous, always