Install Acronis True Image Server 9.1.3530 on Ubuntu Hardy

A.) General intro

This HOWTO is an adapted translation of the original russian forum thread and blog entry discussing installation of Acronis True Image Server 9.1.3530 on Ubuntu Hardy written by TAcuMopo.
I've followed the original post, and combined informations from there with some other resources. As a result I was able to install Acronis on my Ubuntu Hardy box. Then I've made this translation/adaptation because I've think about people should find this useful. Thus the method is fully working, but credits goes to above mentioned thread poster. Some changes were made by me (command code accuracy, config additions, package reupload and additions from Acronis official and some other open source knowledge bases). Original russian thread and blog can be read here:

http://tacumopo.blogspot.com/2008/05...up-ubuntu.html
http://forum.ubuntu.ru/index.php?topic=2145.msg59784

NOTE: If decided to follow this HOWTO, you have to be superuser to do all the steps described below. This can happen by switching to root from the console (issuing command: su or sudo su), or logging in as superuser directly from gdm login (if you have setted up this option earlier in /etc/gdm/gdm.conf-custom).

B.) System preparation

This step or part of it can be overjumped if the system already meets the necessary conditions and configuration settings needed to correctly install Acronis on your box.

1.) Downloading the needed Acronis software packages (if you don't have them already)

http://rapidshare.com/files/12111008...x_Full.tar.bz2

NOTE: There isn't just the installer package itself, but also a DKM framework, two additional SnapAPI26 kernel module packages, the Acronis TIS Linux user guide in PDF format and few additional tricky files... Since I've got success with this package, I recommend it.

Download it in a place comfortable to you, for example to Desktop. I assume for the following steps that this is the package's download location.

2.) Installing the tools necessary for building, compiling and converting kernel-related modules

# apt-get install alien build-essential gcc-3.4 libstdc++5 linux-headers-'uname -r' linux-restricted-modules-'uname -r' linux-source rpm

3.) Then create rpm database by entering following command to avoid RPM error message issues:

# rpm --initdb

4.) Making DKMS's chckconfig executable to avoid later complaints about module install incapacity

# touch /sbin/chkconfig

# chmod +x /sbin/chkconfig

5.) Unpacking the kernel source tree:

# cd /usr/src && tar xjvf linux-source-2.6.24.tar.bz2

C.) Now we go to install Acronis and preparing it's behavior for the upcoming first run on our Ubuntu box. Unpack the downloaded package (if it isn't done yet):

# cd ~/Desktop && tar xjvf Acronis_TIS_9.1.3530_Linux_Full.tar.bz2

# cd ~/Desktop/Acronis_Linux_Full/Acronis_SFX_Setupkit

Checkout installer file permissions by issuing ls -all. It must be executable (rwxr-xr-x or 755). If doesn't, do it now.

# chmod +x Acronis_TISL_i686_Setup

1.) Install seqvence

# ./Acronis_TISL_i686_Setup

Installer script'll present you with an x-window graphical interface install menu and asks you for the registration serial number. Enter the code which you've obtained from Acronis (if applicable).
Alternatively there are few generated by me with the keygenerator included in the package under ../Tricky_Files directory. Or even better, generate one yourself (you need to have wine installed to do this)

In the second install step select (check out) both True Image Server and Rescue Media Builder, then hit "Next".

Finally you'll be prompted about compiling kernel SnapAPI module. Just skip this and exit setup.

2.) Preparing initial RAW device nodes in /dev

For accomplishing this we simply execute the shell script mkrawdev.sh located under the ../RAW_Device folder in our downloaded package. It check out the presence of raw device nodes, and if it find that they're missing will create them.

# cd ~/Desktop/Acronis_Linux_Full/RAW_Device && ./mkrawdev.sh

Now we are ready to do the tricks... Let's do it!

D.) Building and installing SnapAPI26 kernel module

1.) Installing an alternate Dynamic Kernel Module Support (DKMS) framework

# cd ~/Desktop/Acronis_Linux_Full/DKMS_SnapAPI26

# rpm -Uhv dkms-2.0.16-1.noarch.rpm --force --nodeps

2.) Removing original SnapAPI26 source package. It is old and buggy.

# dkms remove -m snapapi26 -v 0.7.0 -all

3.) Checking out if removal was correct, and if don't we going to correct this manually in all targeted locations. If there is a folder or tarball snapapi26 inside any of them, we'll remove the old files lying around.

    # cd /usr/src && ls

    # rm -rf /usr/src/snapapi26-*

    # cd /usr/lib/Acronis/kernel_modules && ls

    # rm -rf /usr/lib/Acronis/kernel_modules/snapapi26-*

    # cd /var/lib/dkms && ls

    # rm -rf /var/lib/dkms/snapapi26

4.) Unpacking replacement module source

# rpm -Uhv snapapi26_modules-0.7.35-1.noarch.rpm --force --nodeps

After executing the command above we can receive the following error message:

ERROR: Module snapapi26 does not exist in /proc/modules

Don't panic! This is normal since we've completely removed the old source. We have to instruct DKMS to load the new sources in their respective target paths (/usr/src and /var/lib/dkms).

# dkms ldtarball --archive=/usr/lib/Acronis/kernel_modules/snapapi26-0.7.35-all.tar.gz

5.) And now comes the cherry on the top of the cake...! BUILD & INSTALL

# dkms build -m snapapi26 -v 0.7.35 -k 'uname -r' --config /boot/config-'uname -r' --arch 'uname -m' --kernelsourcedir /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.24

# dkms install -m snapapi26 -v 0.7.35 -k 'uname -r' --config /boot/config-'uname -r' --arch 'uname -m' --kernelsourcedir /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.24

Now (if everything went OK) you'd jump to Applications/System Tools menu and you should find three new launchers there: Acronis True Image Server; Acronis Web Site, and Bootable Rescue Media Builder. That's it gals and guys...

E.) Possible post-install issues and their antidots

1.) After installation the software complains that it cannot find any hard drives.

SOLUTION: Check if devfs is enabled on your system. In case it is not, you should activate devfs support by issuing the following:

# mkdir /devfs && mount -t devfs devfs /devfs

OPTIONALLY you can make devfs support permanent by adding this line to your /etc/fstab file:

devfs    /devfs    devfs    defaults    0    0

2.) Can't launch Acronis tasks as normal user

This issue is very normal since Acronis True Image Server is a system administration task. Only superuser can do such actions on a system. But for the sake of God! We are in Ubuntu, and have sudo and gksu... Thus...

SOLUTION: Edit your desktop application launchers. Press Alt+F2 and type in (as root; otherways you have to do it with gksudo in front):

gedit /usr/share/applications/TrueImage.desktop

Edit the line beginning with "Exec=" to look like this:

Exec=gksudo /usr/sbin/trueimage

Do the same trick for MediaBuilder.desktop, then edit TrueImage.www.desktop to look like this:

Exec=firefox %U http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/products/ATISLin/

FINAL NOTICE: I'm not an Acronis tech, and don't provide anyone with technical support on Acronis usage and/or other related issues. I've put this crap togheter in a hope to help the community.
In neighter circumstances I can be responsible if you lose data, your pet or your head, nor if you disappear in the Bermuda's Triangle with your comp alltoghether...
You can't blame me for anything what was wrong here.
You can or can not follow my instructions and use Acronis software. Choice is exclusively yours.

Cheers, Zolero.

Source: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=823433