The procedure of rescuing your datas depends on the File System the target disk (called $DISK the one that will have the backup) use.
- Case in FAT 32 or EXT :
Let’s use the Ubuntu liveCD for this.
- We have an external drive that we want to use to do the backup. Plug your usb disk. It should automount. Then get the write access rigth on it ( you may type on the bash : « sudo -s » to get permanent root shell) and then make your backup.
- $DISK is a partition of your IDE internal disk.
Modify the corresponding line in /etc/fstab and add in the options part : umask=0, which will give you all rights on the file system. Then :
sudo umount /dev/
- Case in NTFS :
That will be more difficult since the ntfs write capability is not available on the Live CD. Then I suggest we use an USB Key (512Mo). Make a server installation on the usb key (if you are able to make a tinier installation, just let me know, I am interested) and then install ntfs-3g http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=217009 .
- Try to make the computer boot on the usb key and then, mount the disk using ntfs-3g /dev/
/ . Then remove the file (if you don’t have the write right, add at the mount line « -o umask=0 ». - If the bios doesn’t allow boot from USB, We will use the Live CD combined with the USB.
Put the live CD and boot on it . Then mount the USB key containing the Ubuntu Installation (eg. to /media/usb) . Let’s use denominations CDLin -> LiveCD Ubuntu and USBLin -> USB key Ubuntu
When starting the live CD, the cd recognize your computer’s material and configure you internet connection. It also recognize your partition map. We will use it with our USBLin.
Devices access points are in /dev . We may mount it onto /media/usb/dev : use the command
sudo mount --bind /dev /media/usb/dev< code>.
Same goes for /proc
sudo mount --bind /proc /media/usb/proc < code>
and /sys
sudo mount --bind /sys /media/usb/sys < code>.
Then, we will use our USBLin sudo chroot /media/usb< code>.
Now we got a shell using USBLin and USBLin got the device map . NOW REMMEMBER THAT ALL THE COMMAND GIVEN HERE IS ON THAT SHELL . Try making a ping on google.com (you should check the DNS configuration, maybe add it mannually in /etc/resolv.conf ) If you succeed, you got Internet on USBLin. Then, install NTFS-3G http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=217009 . and now , mount the ntfs partition to write onto .
sudo ntfs-3g /dev/
You may now be able to write on it but only on that shell.
Good luck. write a comment for precisions.