Migrating Your Ubuntu Machine to a SSD Drive(same size / larger disk)

To start migrating your system from one drive to the other, perform the following steps:

1. boot your machine using the live CD / USB stick;
2. enable the “universe” repositories on Ubuntu and install gddrescue:

    sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install gddrescue
   

3. use gddrescue to clone your drive:

    sudo ddrescue -v --force /dev/sda /dev/sdb
   

   where /dev/sda is your source drive and /dev/sdb is your destination drive

4. have patience; depending on your disk size and your machine’s performance this might take a while.

At the end you should be able to seamlessly replace the old spinning drive with the SSD and just enjoy the snappiness of your system.