Cloning a pie build?

tackett1980

So I’m building a gift for a friend. I’m doing the software and rom builds now and since it’s my second go around and thanks to the community I know better what I’m doing and honestly...

This is about 10x better than the one I originally did.

So what I want to do is delete my install, and basically clone his sd card onto mine.

Trouble is i am computer illiterate and I have no clue how to do this. Can someone explain it to me? Speak to me as if you were speaking to a 9 year old.

simpleethat

@tackett1980 If you use Win32DiskImager you can easily do it, the process is sort of reversed. (I'm doing this from memory, if you can wait a day or two I can actually give you step by step instructions for that particular program).

Insert MicroSD you want to copy
In the IMAGE FILE text box give the image a destination path and name (example: C:\this is a copy of my retropie build.img)
Male sure the source card drive letter is correct in the DEVICE box (it's to the right of the IMAGE FILE box)
Click READ.
wait...
wait...
wait... (it depends on the size of the card)

Once it finishes go to the destination path (root of C in this example) and you should have a file that is the size of the source card (this is a copy of my retropie build.img).

tackett1980

@simpleethat

Thank you. Yeah no problem take your time, I still have a ways to go.

I can mildly wrap my head around what your trying to get me to understand here.

So after I get the .img I can just use etcher and mount it like you would a fresh retropie install?

Do the cards have to be the same? Mine is 128 and the one I’m using on his is 64

Again, thank you for your help.

mitu

@tackett1980 said in Cloning a pie build?:

Do the cards have to be the same? Mine is 128 and the one I’m using on his is 64

The backup .img will work on a card of the same size or larger. So if your backup is 128Gb, you would not be able to restore the image on a 64 Gb card.

tackett1980

@mitu

Ok then it should work. It’s the other way around. The card that I want to make an image of is 64gig and the one I want to replace is 128.

mitu

Yes, that should work. Don't forget to expand the filesystem after you restore the image to the new card - https://elinux.org/RPi_raspi-config#expand_rootfs_-_Expand_root_partition_to_fill_SD_card

tackett1980

@mitu

Ohhhh thanks. Yup I would have totally been making a “how do I fix this” thread if you hadn’t said that.