Migrating Linux hd between two machines

[maurizio.dececco]

Before experimenting, i would like to check the global wisdom about this point: as far as i know, a linux installation (let's say an out of the box ubuntu 9.10) is generic, and do not depends on the actual hardware (at least, if you haven't recompiled the kernel, or laoded
specific kernel modules).

In principle, i can move an hard disk with ubuntu installed between two different machines, and as long as the hardware of the second machine is supported by the generic ubuntu kernel, everything should work just fine.

Is this true, or am i missing some important detail somewhere ?

From an hypotetic situation to an actual one: the first machine would be my X61s, the second would be a yet-to-be-produced X200s or x201s, and the HD would be an Intel 160Gb SSD.

Maurizio De Cecco

[Volker]

Should work.

Usually, not all xorg drivers are installed, but since all X* share the intel integrated graphics you'll be fine. Firmware for the wireless will be different and you probably want to install the relevant package before switching, especially if you access the net through wireless.

[GomJabbar]

One possible gotcha is whether the BIOS' of the two machines read the hard drive geometry the same way.