I'm running this OS version on my raspberry pi version 4 ...
# uname -a
Linux raspberrypi 5.10.17-v7l+ #1421 SMP Thu May 27 14:00:13 BST 2021 armv7l GNU/Linux
I want to clone my current OS into a bootable image file without the use of an sdcard. Here is why I want to do this: I need to send the bootable image to a colleague over the internet for him to install onto his own sdcard, and he needs it today. He's in Japan and I'm in the U.S., so there is no time for me to ship him an sdcard.
I know that I could clone my OS onto an sdcard and then extract the image from that card. However, I don't have an extra sdcard now, and I don't have the means to go out and purchase an sdcard within the next day or so.
Therefore, could anyone suggest a way that I could directly clone my OS into a bootable image file either on the Raspberry PI itself, or onto an external computer?
Thank you very much for any suggestions.
PS: I want a full clone with all the filesystems, including /home, /etc, /var, etc. My colleague needs his raspberry pi to be identical to mine, including with all the user data being the same.
PPS: I now see that I have made this much more complicated than necessary. Since my sdcard contains all my raspberry pi filesystems, all I need to do is [1] shut down the raspberry pi (after doing a sync, to make sure); [2] eject the sdcard; [3] mount it on my linux box; [4] copy the disk image. Also, the link which was kindly and generously supplied by @SteveRobillard (below) offers a few other possibilities, one of which being image-util
, which was also kindly suggested by @Seamus, below, and which I have now utilized to successfully make the image file.