Tag: system backup

Link: Time Machine for every Unix out there

Using rsync to mimic the behavior of Apple’s Time Machine feature

rsync is one of the tools that have gradually infiltrated my day to day tool-box (aside Vim and Zsh).

Using rsync it’s very easy to mimic Mac OS X new feature called Time Machine. In this article I’ll show how to do it, but there is still a nice GUI missing – for those who like it shiny.

Full articles by Michael Jakl here:
Time Machine for every Unix out there
Followup article:
Addendum to “Time Machine for every Unix out there”

These articles are “oldie but goodies” from 2007 – if you know of a better way, leave a comment!

Link: Did You Know Windows 8 Has a Built-In Time Machine Backup?

We sometimes forget with all the focus on Windows 8′s new “Modern” interface, but Windows 8 has a variety of great desktop improvements. One of them is File History, a built-in backup feature that functions similarly to Apple’s much-loved Time Machine. Enable the Windows 8 “time machine” File History, and Windows will automatically back up your files to an external or network drive. You’ll be able to restore previous versions from these backups, whether you’ve deleted a file or you just want to recover an old version of a file.

Full article here:
Did You Know Windows 8 Has a Built-In Time Machine Backup? (MakeUseOf)

Still using Windows 7? Nothing so simple for you, but check out this video:
 

Link: Systemback: Restore Your Linux System To Previous State

A couple of months ago, we have described an awesome tool called TimeShift that can be used to restore your Linux desktop to the previous working state in Unixmen. In the same series, today I introduce a new tool named systemback.

Systemback is an open source, system backup and restore application. Using Systemback, we can easily create backups of system and users configuration files. In case of problems, we can easily restore the previous state of the system. There are extra features like system copying, system installation and Live system creation.

Full article here:
Systemback: Restore Your Linux System To Previous State (Unixmen)

Link: Using Time Machine on unsupported volumes

I wanted to use Time Machine on my exFAT hard drive, but turns out that these volumes aren’t supported from Time Machine! There is a very simple way to use Time Machines on unsupported hard drives, as long as you follow these instructions carefully you shouldn’t have any issues at all.

Full article here:
Using Time Machine on unsupported volumes (Mac OS X Hints)

Link: Grsync And GAdmin-Rsync: The Graphical Front-end Applications For Rsync Tool

In our previous article about rsync, we have shown you how to install and use rsync. Working in command line mode is better than GUI mode, however it will be bit difficult to newbies and novice users. Today, I will introduce some graphical front-end tools called Grsync and Gadmin-rsync which will help to ease the usage of rsync tool.

Full article here:
Grsync And GAdmin-Rsync: The Graphical Front-end Applications For Rsync Tool (Unixmen)
Previous article on this subject:
Link: Grsync : Graphical rsync backup tool on Ubuntu (12.10 / 13.04 / 13.10) (TechNotes)

Link: The Non-Beginner’s Guide to Syncing Data with Rsync

The rsync protocol can be pretty simple to use for ordinary backup/synchronization jobs, but some of its more advanced features may surprise you.  In this article, we’re going to show how even the biggest data hoarders and backup enthusiasts can wield rsync as a single solution for all of their data redundancy needs.

Warning: Advanced Geeks Only

If you’re sitting there thinking “What the heck is rsync?” or “I only use rsync for really simple tasks,” you may want to check out our previous article on how to use rsync to backup your data on Linux, which gives an introduction to rsync, guides you through installation, and showcases its more basic functions.  Once you have a firm grasp of how to use rsync (honestly, it isn’t that complex) and are comfortable with a Linux terminal, you’re ready to move on to this advanced guide.

Full article here:
The Non-Beginner’s Guide to Syncing Data with Rsync (How-To Geek)
Related:
Syncronize Files Between Servers With RSYNC (Ma-No)

Alternatives to the OS X “Time Machine” program for Ubuntu and other Linux users

Make Tech Easier has a few articles online that mention programs that Ubuntu users (and possibly users of other varieties of Linux) can install that more or less emulate the “Time Machine” feature of Mac OS X. The first article is from back in 2008:

Time machine For Ubuntu? Try Timevault and Flyback

The problem with the software mentioned in that article is that neither has been updated in years. However there is a much newer option, that would probably be the best choice for many users:

Automate Your System Backup With Back In Time

That one backs up your entire system, or anything you tell it to. The is one additional newer option:

Restore Your Linux System to Earlier Date with TimeShift

The problem with that one is that as the article explains, it will “…only backup and protect system files and settings. It doesn’t handle your data and document…” and apparently that’s by design. So if that’s what you’re looking for – and it could be useful, particularly if you like to try the latest and greatest versions of your system software – then go for it.

And yes, we are aware that some experienced Linux users will skip the GUI’s and just create their own backup schedules using rsync, but the problem with that is that a lot of newer Linux users just can’t seem to grasp rsync, nor do they want to. They just want a convenient backup program that’s at least somewhat akin to Time Machine on the Mac. And we’ve previously posted articles or links related to Grsync : Graphical rsync backup tool on Ubuntu (12.10 / 13.04 / 13.10), Redo Backup and GPartEd Live to backup a working system and restore it to a new (possibly larger) drive, and Disaster recovery with MondoRescue. So, there are many options out there for Linux users, and if you have a favorite one that we’ve missed (non-commercial only, please), feel free to leave a comment and let us know!

EDIT: Some additional links we’ve created or come across since this article was originally published:

Easy Linux backup software with Time Machine like functionality | Nuxified.org (TechNotes)
Link: Time Machine for every Unix out there (TechNotes)
Attic – Deduplicating backup program (Ubuntu Geek)
Backing Up on Linux with Duplicity (Linux.com)
Disk ARchive (dar) – “dar is a shell command that backs up directory trees and files, taking care of hard links, Extended Attributes, sparse files, MacOS’s file forks, any inode type (including Solaris Door inodes), etc. It has been tested under Linux, Windows, Solaris, FreeBSD, NetBSD, MacOS X and several other systems, it is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL).”
Relax-and-Recover – “Relax-and-Recover is a setup-and-forget Linux bare metal disaster recovery solution. It is easy to set up and requires no maintenance so there is no excuse for not using it.”
Rsnapshot (Rsync Based) – A Local/Remote File System Backup Utility for Linux (Tecmint)
Time rsYnc Machine (tym) – “A backup utility with the approach popularized by the Time Machine of Apple.”

Link: Back up your Raspberry Pi to your Google drive

Being able to back up data to the cloud is very useful. It means that even if your Raspberry Pi dies or your SD card gets corrupted, your data is still safe. It also means that you can access your data from any where in the world.

If you have a Google drive account, you can use the grive program to sync a folder on your Pi with your Google drive.

Full article here:
Back up your Pi to your Google drive (Raspberry Web Server)

Link: How to do Painless MySQL Server Backups with AutoMySQLBackup

 

Important
This is an edited version of a post that originally appeared on a blog called The Michigan Telephone Blog, which was written by a friend before he decided to stop blogging. It is reposted with his permission. Comments dated before the year 2013 were originally posted to his blog.

Image representing MySQL as depicted in CrunchBase

I have not tried or tested this, but just wanted to point it out as it might prove useful to some readers. I still prefer MondoRescue for a full system backup, but I can see how this might also come in handy in certain situations:

How to do Painless MySQL Server Backups with AutoMySQLBackup (Linux.com)