cloning ubuntu on different hardware systems (x86)

[hagen van rissenbeck]

Hi, list,

I would like to know, if there's anybody out there with experiences in 
cloning a pc from a configured ubuntu (with vmplayer, wine, multimedia, 
java and proprietairy packages-> acroread etc.) to a new target pc station.

I did until today more than a dozen of installations for friends and 
family, and that number (not of my family but of the installations ;-)) 
grows up more and more...

The post-install configuration "from scratch" is really, really boring.

That's why I would like to clone from a master pc in the future...



My problem:
-----------

I guess that cloning 1:1 won't work because of different hardware 
components.

Will the strategy work, which is described below?

1. Setup of a master system with defined numbers, filesystems and sizes 
of partitions.

2. Preparing the target pc (partitioning, formating)

3. Cloning the partitions with partimage, g4u or something else (what 
tool would be your choice?)

4. Configuring and installing grub on the target-system.

5. Booting the new system

6. Configuring the new system's hardware from a terminal using (perhaps? 
- I don't know, if that will work) a tool like dpkg-reconfigure or 
debconf or something else???

7. Setup of a 2nd, not privileged user. perhaps more...

Is there a chance for an agreable result?


Thxs a lot for your help...

Hagen