Much better alternatives to Timeshift

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patwwh

Much better alternatives to Timeshift

Post by patwwh »

I am happy that Linux Mint 19 has integrated my beloved system restore solution, Timeshift, in it.
However, actually there is actually a much more complete solution, SystemBack, which should be considered by the team in its earlier research and consideration. SystemBack doesn't only provide System snapshot and restore, but also provide full backup function (like Back-In-Time), creating live system image (like Mondo-Rescue), restore option in Boot screen (Like Opensuse' Snapper), and allowing excluding specified folders. The problem is that its developer has stopped developing this mature project since 2016. But this problem also reflect a chance for discussion, since no one would like to see the real death of his baby.

https://launchpad.net/systemback
https://sourceforge.net/projects/systemback/
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Re: Much better alternatives to Timeshift

Post by Pjotr »

patwwh wrote: Thu Jul 05, 2018 6:00 am The problem is that its developer has stopped developing this mature project since 2016.
That sounds like a major problem indeed. :shock:
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Re: Much better alternatives to Timeshift

Post by xenopeek »

patwwh wrote: Thu Jul 05, 2018 6:00 amThe problem is that its developer has stopped developing this mature project since 2016.
While the features you list make it sound interesting, you can imagine why it wouldn't have passed consideration.

Timeshift on the other hand is actively developed and maintained by Tony George. During the development cycle of Linux Mint 18.3 (the first release that came with Timeshift) the Linux Mint developers worked closely with him on some points of improvement and integration.
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patwwh

Re: Much better alternatives to Timeshift

Post by patwwh »

Unless the team has tried, it has no harm and no cost just to try asking that developer for cooperation.
Cost = 0
Gain = Possible incorporate a great and mature project freely

Although I am newbie here, but sorry to say that I really wonder why this post will receive a conservative "No" so easily.
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Re: Much better alternatives to Timeshift

Post by Pjotr »

patwwh wrote: Thu Jul 05, 2018 7:55 am Although I am newbie here, but sorry to say that I really wonder why this post will receive a conservative "No" so easily.
Well, I really wonder why a newbie is so convinced that the small Mint dev team should be put to work on a dead and abandoned application, while the Mint devs have more than enough to do as it is, and while there's already a roughly similar application in place? :wink:
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patwwh

Re: Much better alternatives to Timeshift

Post by patwwh »

No, in fact, I highly appreciate the effort of Mint's team.
(I am sorry I still don't know if Pjotr & xenopeek are Mint's team member or not. I just express my honest wording.)

Although I believe SystemBack can make Mint become much stronger for personal and production usage, I do not insist my suggested idea actually. If you reply a thoughful reasons, I won't have any questions. What actually wonder me is the conservative and easy of giving up to a triable & beneficial idea. It will somehow block the growth of Mint. (My expression is clear enough. I think I stop here.)
F3Spirit

Re: Much better alternatives to Timeshift

Post by F3Spirit »

Mint has GRSync in the Repo. It is a great BackUp Tool.
With all the options a good backUp tool should have.

So with Timeshift and GRSync you are covert.

It is something new users must learn sooner or later that under Linux and Unix the philosophy tends to smaller Tools that do something very well, because the maker of the tool really cares to make such a tool. Often he makes it first just for himself even. While under Windows more often than not you find a set of tools bundled to packages for sale. And the user tends to use 30 % of one packages and 15% of another, because the bundles do some things well and others not.

When I switched some years ago I also kind of expected Linux to be like Windows, and sometimes was frustrated that it does somethings very different.
However, after some time I got used to it. I noticed that it works well, because with open standards, you can save a file in one tool and open it in another without any problems. And now with Android and iOS people get used to the Linux way, because on Mobile people also get small apps specialized for specific tasks. Just give yourself some time to adapt, and you probably find out that it is just a habit to do everything in a packaged application instead of 2 or 3.

Also, Linux is no company that tries to get users away from Windows to make more profit For the most part you find people that want to improve something and make a tool out of it, and people who want to use such a tool. Most developers that do open source I know even in RedHat and such, do it for fun, or because they figured out how to do something better.
This ideological stuff you find on YouTube is more click bate not so much reflective of the Linux maker community. You will find more awareness of privacy violations and such in the Linux community I would say but most try to educate about it or fix it with open source alternatives. I know no developer that says we need to make everything like in Windows just to get people over. Even Mint with its "We make an OS that has everything to get you up and running out of the box"- OS tries not to imitate the Windows way. Because Linux on the Desktop is big in science and development and starts to get much traction in 2D and 3D art now, as well as photography. Also, gaming is getting bigger with Steam and Proton. All of this user groups like stuff that is fast, efficient and stable, so the bloated Windows-way does not work for them.
Booty

Re: Much better alternatives to Timeshift

Post by Booty »

patwwh wrote: Thu Jul 05, 2018 6:00 am I am happy that Linux Mint 19 has integrated my beloved system restore solution, Timeshift, in it.
However, actually there is actually a much more complete solution, SystemBack, which should be considered by the team in its earlier research and consideration. SystemBack doesn't only provide System snapshot and restore, but also provide full backup function (like Back-In-Time), creating live system image (like Mondo-Rescue), restore option in Boot screen (Like Opensuse' Snapper), and allowing excluding specified folders. The problem is that its developer has stopped developing this mature project since 2016. But this problem also reflect a chance for discussion, since no one would like to see the real death of his baby.

https://launchpad.net/systemback
https://sourceforge.net/projects/systemback/
why i cant add PPA look@image please

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Re: Much better alternatives to Timeshift

Post by AndyMH »

The clue is in the response:

Code: Select all

andy@T430 ~ $ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nemh/systemback
[sudo] password for andy: 
HTTP Error 404: Not Found
Cannot add PPA: ''This PPA does not support bionic''.
It doesn't support bionic = ubuntu 18.04 = LM19.x. It is probably written around ubuntu 16.04.
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Re: Much better alternatives to Timeshift

Post by majpooper »

F3Spirit wrote: Fri Mar 01, 2019 7:19 pm Mint has GRSync in the Repo. It is a great BackUp Tool.
With all the options a good backUp tool should have.

So with Timeshift and GRSync you are covert.

It is something new users must learn sooner or later that under Linux and Unix the philosophy tends to smaller Tools that do something very well, because the maker of the tool really cares to make such a tool. Often he makes it first just for himself even. While under Windows more often than not you find a set of tools bundled to packages for sale. And the user tends to use 30 % of one packages and 15% of another, because the bundles do some things well and others not.

When I switched some years ago I also kind of expected Linux to be like Windows, and sometimes was frustrated that it does somethings very different.
However, after some time I got used to it. I noticed that it works well, because with open standards, you can save a file in one tool and open it in another without any problems. And now with Android and iOS people get used to the Linux way, because on Mobile people also get small apps specialized for specific tasks. Just give yourself some time to adapt, and you probably find out that it is just a habit to do everything in a packaged application instead of 2 or 3.

Also, Linux is no company that tries to get users away from Windows to make more profit For the most part you find people that want to improve something and make a tool out of it, and people who want to use such a tool. Most developers that do open source I know even in RedHat and such, do it for fun, or because they figured out how to do something better.
This ideological stuff you find on YouTube is more click bate not so much reflective of the Linux maker community. You will find more awareness of privacy violations and such in the Linux community I would say but most try to educate about it or fix it with open source alternatives. I know no developer that says we need to make everything like in Windows just to get people over. Even Mint with its "We make an OS that has everything to get you up and running out of the box"- OS tries not to imitate the Windows way. Because Linux on the Desktop is big in science and development and starts to get much traction in 2D and 3D art now, as well as photography. Also, gaming is getting bigger with Steam and Proton. All of this user groups like stuff that is fast, efficient and stable, so the bloated Windows-way does not work for them.
+1 Great explanation
LanceM

Re: Much better alternatives to Timeshift

Post by LanceM »

As far as I'm concerned Timeshift has no equal. Geeze look at how pitiful Windows System Restore is: "The Restore Did Not Complete Successfully"
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Re: Much better alternatives to Timeshift

Post by AndyMH »

As majpooper so eloquently said "smaller Tools that do something very well". I am very happy with my combination of timeshift, backintime and redo*. That's file and image backup taken care of. And I have used all three in anger and they have not let me down. One of the learning experiences with linux is borking your system, of which I have done several times. That's when you need your backups.

* the only niggle is that redo is abandonware, but if it works on your system then ok. Users with newer hardware might have a problem, it uses a 3 series kernel.
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Re: Much better alternatives to Timeshift

Post by cipricus »

LanceM wrote: Sun Oct 06, 2019 12:33 pm As far as I'm concerned Timeshift has no equal. Geeze look at how pitiful Windows System Restore is: "The Restore Did Not Complete Successfully"
In fact Windows can create a backup image and restore the system from it while booting an installation media. I have just used this feature to transfer a system between two computers and I am looking for a Linux alternative.

Timeshift seem to be made for making backups of the system from within the system; restoring is also naturally made from a running system. But when the drive or the system fails it is sometimes not the best tool. When trying to restore my system from a live session with backups on an external drive Timeshift was not able to see my last backups. This happened to me more than once.
Last edited by cipricus on Wed May 05, 2021 2:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
LanceM

Re: Much better alternatives to Timeshift

Post by LanceM »

In fact Windows can create a backup image and restore the system from it while booting an installation media. I have just used this feature to transfer a system between two computers and I am looking for a Linux alternative.
A windows backup image is not System Restore. A completely different process.
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Re: Much better alternatives to Timeshift

Post by cipricus »

LanceM wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 2:18 pm
In fact Windows can create a backup image and restore the system from it while booting an installation media. I have just used this feature to transfer a system between two computers and I am looking for a Linux alternative.
A windows backup image is not System Restore. A completely different process.
I know that. But the OP was mentioning the need for tools that can create backup image:
also provide full backup function (like Back-In-Time), creating live system image (like Mondo-Rescue), restore option in Boot screen (Like Opensuse' Snapper)
LanceM

Re: Much better alternatives to Timeshift

Post by LanceM »

I know that. But the OP was mentioning the need for tools that can create backup image:
I think he meant for Linux, not Windows.
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Re: Much better alternatives to Timeshift

Post by Moem »

Whichever it was, it was years ago. They have probably either found a solution or moved on by now.
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LanceM

Re: Much better alternatives to Timeshift

Post by LanceM »

Whichever it was, it was years ago. They have probably either found a solution or moved on by now.
Good point. I didn't see that date. Expired thread and going to the bone yard.
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