===== Cloning XBian =====

==== To another device ====

xbian-config (both XBMC and CLI version) provides functionality to create a functional clone of your running XBian installation. This new clone can be made to various media such as a different partition on same storage, another SD card, external USB media as HDD, or a file if you want to create a backup. After the xbian-config clone function finishes, only a small modification of the ''/boot/cmdline.txt'' is needed. Change ''root=/dev/mmcblk0p2'' to the USB device and partition you cloned to e.g. ''root=/dev/sda1''.

To create the clone. Start xbian-config:
<code>
root@pi:~# xbian-config
</code>

Then go to option 6 and change the destination address to the device you want to clone to.

In rare cases, with more USB disks attached, it can happen that other disk get the name ''/dev/sda1'' so XBian fails to boot. If you are using more devices, use the ''LABEL'' or ''UUID'' pointers to root device:

1. Remove all devices except your new root device.
2. Run:
<code>
root@pi:~# sudo -i
root@pi:~# blkid -s UUID -o value /dev/sda1
240d84e4-dd44-42df-b31e-fe4f492b5cce
</code>
or
<code>
root@pi:~# sudo -i
root@pi:~# blkid -s LABEL -o value /dev/sda1
xbian-copy
</code>
3. These values can be used in the ''cmdline.txt'':
<code>
root=UUID=240d84e4-dd44-42df-b31e-fe4f492b5cce
</code>
or
<code>
root=LABEL=xbian-copy
</code>

==== As a backup ====

It is also possible to utilize this function for creating absolute backup copies. xbian-config can directly create ''.img'' file you can later use to write back on your SD card. So restoring is as easy as installing XBian for the first time. Instead of clean public distribution image you flash to SD card your own image file.

xbian-config will change all parameters in ''/boot/config.txt'' and ''/boot/cmdline.txt'' (or even ''/etc/fstab'') for you during the backup creation process. The image can be created on a usb disk or network server, or any other destination accessible by XBian.

==== Older Versions ====

If you want to move to usb/backup version Beta1X, follow this older guide. This process will remove XBian sub volumes from ''/rootfs'' thus manually editing ''/etc/fstab'' is required.

This guide assumes your USB disk is on ''/dev/sda1''. **Beware, all data on this disk will be removed!**

<code>
sudo umount /dev/sda1
sudo mkfs.btrfs -L xbian-usb /dev/sda1
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
sudo rsync -aAX /* /mnt/ --exclude={/dev/*,/proc/*,/sys/*,/tmp/*,/run/*,/mnt/*,/media/*,/lost+found,/home/*/.gvfs} --progress
sudo nano /mnt/etc/fstab
</code>

Notes:
  * comment out the line with ''/home'' (with a ''#'' at the start of the line)
  * change ''LABEL=xbian-root-btrfs'' to ''root=/dev/sda1'' and remove the ''subvol=root/@,'' from the ''/'' entry.
  * Then edit the ''/boot/cmdline.txt'' and\\ change ''LABEL=xbian-root-btrfs'' to ''root=/dev/sda1''\\ remove ''subvol=root/@''\\ change ''mod_scsi.scan=async'' to ''mod_scsi.scan=sync''\\ and when needed,\\ increase the number after ''rootwait='' 



==== Procedure for Cubox-i ====
1. Unmount external drive and make filesystem:
<code>
sudo umount /dev/sda1
sudo mkfs.btrfs -L xbian-usb /dev/sda1
</code>

2. Mount it and copy files from sd-card
<code>
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
sudo rsync -aAX /* /mnt/ --exclude={/dev/*,/proc/*,/sys/*,/tmp/*,/run/*,/mnt/*,/media/*,/lost+found,/home/*/.gvfs} --progress
</code>

3. Edit boot.scr.txt
<code>
sudo nano /boot/boot.scr.txt
</code>

change ''root=/dev/mmcblk0p2'' to ''root=/dev/sda1'' (or what your partition on the external drive is)
remove ''subvol=root/@,''


and compile boot.scr with (make backups of both files beforehand - just in case):
<code>
cd /boot; sudo ./mks
</code>

Reboot

That's all! 

**To use sub volumes again:** (Important for filesystem snapshots)
<code>
sudo -i
cd /
btrfs sub create ROOT
btrfs sub snap / ROOT/@
</code>

and then re add the previous deleted text at the same position: 
<code>
sudo nano /boot/boot.scr.txt
</code>
''subvol=ROOT/@,''
and compile it again with: 
<code>
cd /boot; sudo ./mks
</code>

(It's important that ROOT is written the same way as created, in this case in capital letters!)
For more informations see: https://github.com/xbianonpi/xbian/issues/556

==== Troubleshooting ====
Some external USB drives such as Seagate Expansion take longer than 10 seconds to spin up on boot, resulting in xbian not identifying the xbian-copy partition in time and results in recovery mode on start up.

It is necessary to add appropriate delay in the initramfs script between device initialization and root mounting to resolve this issue.

<code>
xbian@xbian ~ $ sudo nano /etc/xbian-initramfs/init
</code>

Add ''sleep 10'' on a new line between ''up "after modprobe"'' and ''INITIALBOOT="0"''

<code>
...
up "after modprobe"

sleep 10

INITIALBOOT="0"
...
</code>

Adjust the delay from 10 to the appropriate amount needed for your external drive.

Now, update the initramfs image:

<code>
xbian@xbian ~ $ sudo xbian-update-initramfs
</code>

The system should now boot from external USB drive properly. The only downside is a few additional seconds wait time during boot up.