PING (Partimage Is Not Ghost)

What is PING

PING is a live Linux ISO, based on the excellent Linux From Scratch (LFS) documentation. It can be burnt on a CD and booted, or integrated into a PXE / RIS environment.

Several tools have been added and written, so to make this ISO the perfect choice to backup and restore whole partitions, an easy way. It sounds like Symantec Ghost(tm), but has even better features, and is totally free.

Features include:

Probably the best available Linux toolbox for rescueing a system;
Backup and Restore partitions or files to a MS Network Shared directory;
Backup and Restore the BIOS data as well;
Either burn a bootable CD / DVD, either integrate within a PXE / RIS environment;
Possibility to Blank local admin's password;
Create your own restoration bootable DVD (see the Howto Documentation);
Partition and Format a disk before installing Windows (so to make sure your unattended Windows installation will happen on the right partition);

Specific advantages PING brings you over DOS and Ghost :

Most network cards automatically recognized by the Kernel (unlike DOS);
Most CD/DVD readers automatically recognized by the Kernel (unlike DOS);
You don't have to run a Ghostcast server to receive images over the network;
More supported filesystems;
You can store an image on several CD/DVD (CD/DVD-spanning);
You can backup and restore BIOS settings too;
Much much smaller than WinPE / BartPE;
etc.