Backing Up Your Linux

Rob Williams · 08-26-2007, 09:00 PM

Backing up your computer is important. Don't be the sucker who loses important files and has to deal with it afterwards! In this how-to, you will learn about using rsync and lftp, writing your own scripts and adding them to crontab and of course, backing up to your external storage, NAS and also a remote server running Linux.

You can read the full article here and discuss it here.

linnerd40 · 08-27-2007, 06:46 AM

This is extremely helpful, thanks! Very well written too.

Rob Williams · 08-27-2007, 02:03 PM

Thanks man, glad you found it useful!

09-03-2007, 01:00 AM

There is something called Grsync which is a GTK+ UI on top of rsync.
The only issue I have in understanding how the updates happen or what output comes when one does that. How does it know the changes happen, does it make an index or does checksum of each file or what? Please lemme know. Thanx.

Rob Williams · 09-03-2007, 12:20 PM

I've never heard of Grsync, I will need to check it out sometime. As for how rsync works, I believe it first compares timestamps for each file and then digs deep into the file to figure out which is newer. The algorithm can be found here:

http://rsync.samba.org/tech_report/node2.html

Whenever you run rsync on a file, it creates an index, but I'm unsure where it's located, or how it's even stored. It is what keeps track of the files that are currently there though, and then add to it if you add more files to a specific folder or what have you. I wish their site explained the entire process a bit better, to be honest.

09-12-2012, 12:38 PM

Hello

Here is a shell script that I wrote to make snapshot backups of your filesystem with the speed of rsync.
It creates hard-links between the backups in order to have a full backup taking as little disk space as if it would be an incremental backup.
It also come with tuning parameters like MD5 integrity signature, 'chattr' protection, etc. .

check it here: http://blog.pointsoftware.ch/?p=527&preview=true
It's free! ^^

Cheers
Francois Scheurer

Rob Williams · 09-12-2012, 01:49 PM

Cheers for putting so much effort into that script! It's quite similar to an Acronis for Linux, but free!

09-13-2012, 05:50 AM

sorry the direct URL is http://blog.pointsoftware.ch/index.p...th-hard-links/

enjoy
francois

PS: the captcha code of this forum are really hard to read ;-)

09-13-2012, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob Williams

Cheers for putting so much effort into that script! It's quite similar to an Acronis for Linux, but free!

Thank you William!! ^^

Special thanks go to Andrew Tridgell (rsync) and Mike Rubel (hard linked rotated snapshots)

I think the irony of rsync is that it is SOOOO powerful, that many people are afraid of reading its man-pages. thanks to you and other blogs those people have a chance to realize that they should definitely not miss this masterpiece of rsync!

I will also post on this blog another script soon, that copy the backups of rsync to encrypted tapes.

Glider · 09-13-2012, 01:28 PM

I use rsnapshot, rsync with intelligence...

08-26-2007, 09:00 PM	#1
Rob Williams Editor-in-Chief Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Atlantic Canada Posts: 13,231	Backing Up Your Linux Backing up your computer is important. Don't be the sucker who loses important files and has to deal with it afterwards! In this how-to, you will learn about using rsync and lftp, writing your own scripts and adding them to crontab and of course, backing up to your external storage, NAS and also a remote server running Linux. You can read the full article here and discuss it here. __________________ Intel Core i7-990X EE @ 3.43GHz, GIGABYTE X58A-UD5, Kingston 12GB DDR3-1333, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB SSD, WD VR 1TB, WD 2TB, Seagate 2TB, LG BD-ROM, ASUS DVD-RW, Corsair 1000HX, Corsair H60 Cooler Corsair 800D, Dell 2408WFP 24", ASUS Xonar Essence STX, Gentoo (KDE 4.10, 3.7 Kernel) "Take care to get what you like, or you will be forced to like what you get!" - H.P. Baxxter <Toad772> I don't always drink alcohol, but when I do, I take it too far.

08-27-2007, 02:03 PM	#3
Rob Williams Editor-in-Chief Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Atlantic Canada Posts: 13,231	Thanks man, glad you found it useful! __________________ Intel Core i7-990X EE @ 3.43GHz, GIGABYTE X58A-UD5, Kingston 12GB DDR3-1333, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB SSD, WD VR 1TB, WD 2TB, Seagate 2TB, LG BD-ROM, ASUS DVD-RW, Corsair 1000HX, Corsair H60 Cooler Corsair 800D, Dell 2408WFP 24", ASUS Xonar Essence STX, Gentoo (KDE 4.10, 3.7 Kernel) "Take care to get what you like, or you will be forced to like what you get!" - H.P. Baxxter <Toad772> I don't always drink alcohol, but when I do, I take it too far.

09-03-2007, 01:00 AM	#4
Unregistered Guest Poster Posts: n/a	Grsync There is something called Grsync which is a GTK+ UI on top of rsync. The only issue I have in understanding how the updates happen or what output comes when one does that. How does it know the changes happen, does it make an index or does checksum of each file or what? Please lemme know. Thanx.

09-03-2007, 12:20 PM	#5
Rob Williams Editor-in-Chief Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Atlantic Canada Posts: 13,231	I've never heard of Grsync, I will need to check it out sometime. As for how rsync works, I believe it first compares timestamps for each file and then digs deep into the file to figure out which is newer. The algorithm can be found here: http://rsync.samba.org/tech_report/node2.html Whenever you run rsync on a file, it creates an index, but I'm unsure where it's located, or how it's even stored. It is what keeps track of the files that are currently there though, and then add to it if you add more files to a specific folder or what have you. I wish their site explained the entire process a bit better, to be honest. __________________ Intel Core i7-990X EE @ 3.43GHz, GIGABYTE X58A-UD5, Kingston 12GB DDR3-1333, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB SSD, WD VR 1TB, WD 2TB, Seagate 2TB, LG BD-ROM, ASUS DVD-RW, Corsair 1000HX, Corsair H60 Cooler Corsair 800D, Dell 2408WFP 24", ASUS Xonar Essence STX, Gentoo (KDE 4.10, 3.7 Kernel) "Take care to get what you like, or you will be forced to like what you get!" - H.P. Baxxter <Toad772> I don't always drink alcohol, but when I do, I take it too far.

09-12-2012, 12:38 PM	#6
Francois Scheurer Guest Poster Posts: n/a	hard links with rsync Hello Here is a shell script that I wrote to make snapshot backups of your filesystem with the speed of rsync. It creates hard-links between the backups in order to have a full backup taking as little disk space as if it would be an incremental backup. It also come with tuning parameters like MD5 integrity signature, 'chattr' protection, etc. . check it here: http://blog.pointsoftware.ch/?p=527&preview=true It's free! ^^ Cheers Francois Scheurer

08-27-2007, 06:46 AM	#2
linnerd40 Obliviot Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 40	This is extremely helpful, thanks! Very well written too.

09-12-2012, 01:49 PM	#7
Rob Williams Editor-in-Chief Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Atlantic Canada Posts: 13,231	Cheers for putting so much effort into that script! It's quite similar to an Acronis for Linux, but free! __________________ Intel Core i7-990X EE @ 3.43GHz, GIGABYTE X58A-UD5, Kingston 12GB DDR3-1333, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB SSD, WD VR 1TB, WD 2TB, Seagate 2TB, LG BD-ROM, ASUS DVD-RW, Corsair 1000HX, Corsair H60 Cooler Corsair 800D, Dell 2408WFP 24", ASUS Xonar Essence STX, Gentoo (KDE 4.10, 3.7 Kernel) "Take care to get what you like, or you will be forced to like what you get!" - H.P. Baxxter <Toad772> I don't always drink alcohol, but when I do, I take it too far.

09-13-2012, 05:50 AM	#8
Francois Scheurer Guest Poster Posts: n/a	sorry the direct URL is http://blog.pointsoftware.ch/index.p...th-hard-links/ enjoy francois PS: the captcha code of this forum are really hard to read ;-)

09-13-2012, 01:28 PM	#10
Glider Coastermaker Join Date: May 2009 Location: Belgium Posts: 139	I use rsnapshot, rsync with intelligence... __________________ There Are 10 Types Of People, Those Who Know Binary and Those Who Don't

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Linux Talent in Huge Demand, Says Linux Foundation	Rob Williams	General Software	0	02-14-2012 07:05 PM
Need the Most Unsecure Linux Ever? Just Get Damn Vulnerable Linux!	Rob Williams	General Software	3	07-21-2010 12:29 PM
Nero Linux 4 - Still the Best Burning Tool for Linux?	Rob Williams	Reviews and Articles	0	10-12-2009 03:04 AM
Backing Up Outlook a Breeze With OutlookBackupPro	Rob Williams	General Software	0	03-12-2008 02:44 AM
What Linux to run...	BloodSugarWilksM	General Software	4	01-14-2007 08:33 PM