This disk will be bootable, but will not contain a current kernel or drive map. Text editors and disk utilities provide a basic level of support to restore the system to a bootable state. Some Linux partition utilities are gpart and parted which offer partition tools and recovery. I have used the commercial product, Partition Magic, successfully in the past to correct many filesystem and partition problems. User data may be preserved, but system configurations will be lost.
Setup varies according to distribution and configuration.
Debian installation is user controlled and very flexible, and partitions are mounted and assigned manually. Linux Recovery Linux is a very flexible operating system, with granular control. This control is demonstrated through the recovery methods available. Another great feature of Linux is the support available from the community and the documentation available. Currently Ian is working on creating a backup appliance with user control, versioning, network backups and easy file restores.