5Axis Kinetic from 2.8 on 2.7x

For cloning my disks I use Clonezilla on a live usb stick. So I plug in my empty target drive and boot clonezilla from usb. Then choose the source disk I want to backup and the target disk to write to (make sure you choose the correct drives here) and start the cloning process. I try to use identical drives otherwise you can run into issues cloning from a larger to a smaller disk (although there are ways to solve that as well)

clonezilla.org/downloads/download.php?branch=stable

You are trying to clone one partition to another on the SAME drive !
Please read the instructions on using Clonezilla.

Yes till lately i did always make a bootable and installable image, not anymore since installing a new Linux Mint system with LinuxCNC and kernel takes about half an hour or less.
Use "Systemback" it has a nice GUI and works properly, after removing "casper" and installing "live-boot", it can also save the home folder so when you boot from the USB you get everything, documents and software included.

It tells you "Unknown parameter 'sparm=identityfirst'".

Have you built the switchkins-branch?
Note that sparm=identityfirst is used in the switchkins-branch to get linuxcnc to start the config using the indentitiy kinematics.
Have you built the switchkins-branch?

If you are already using the switchkins-branch. Then maybe delete sparm=identityfirst and try again.

So do you get the error when you try to start the 5axis-trt-kins simulation or only if you try to start your own machines config?

Have you set the environment correctly?

$ cd ~/linuxcnc-dev/src
$ source ../scripts/rip-environment

Do that and run the simulation

$ cd ../configs/sim/axis/vismach/5axis/table-rotary-tilting
$ linuxcnc xyzac-trt.ini