dump/restore selinux query

[John Austin]

On Mon, 2012-10-01 at 09:14 -0400, Daniel J Walsh wrote:
> On 10/01/2012 07:10 AM, John Austin wrote:
> > Hi
> > 
> > I have recently used a bootable F17 memory stick (fully updated) to 
> > dump/restore an un-mounted Centos 6.3 system root (/) partition to a
> > "clone" backup partition on a separate disk.
> > 
> > I obtain SELinux error messages during the restore phase
> > 
> > Does anyone (Daniel?) know:
> > 
> > Will this be a problem if/when I need to use the backup?
> > 
> > Regards
> > 
> > John
> > 
> Most likely the target OS did not understand the labels that you are trying to
> install.  So if you took labels off a F17 machine and tried to put them on a
> RHEL6 box, the labels might not be defined.


Hmmm - repeated the exercise booted from a fully updated C6.3
memory stick and the errors are not present during restore.
(ie dumped/restored system and booted OS are both C6.3 with the
same update level)

This implies that you must use a contemporaneous version of the
operating system (including dump/restore) to that of the actual backed
up root partition.

Obviously I do not fully understand/accept what is happening here!
So a couple more basic questions

Does this mean I have to put aside the memory stick in its
current state (no upgrade to C6.4 say) so that I can use it as the boot
device during any subsequent restore of the backed up partitions?

OR

Will the relabelling of a restored root partition (that has
selinux errors during the restore) (when booted from that restored
partition) provide a "perfect" working system?

Thanks again

John