Looking for backup answers.

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chazb
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Looking for backup answers.

Post by chazb »

LM 17, Quana, Cinnamon.
Getting ready to make the switch to LM 18.3, and wanting to know what I really should backup.
I have discovered that I can back up my desktop, and the Firefox bookmarks, by just drag and drop to my usb thumb drive, Tried that with Thunderbird and ran into Permissions problems, I think permission are a useless endeavor. but it is a Unix thing and must be lived with. I can always download and install Thunderbird. I have read in the forum that I should backup Firefox, but Firefox come built in the new OS, so what is the point?
What among the other files which I have unhidden do I "really" need, or at least should have? I have dragged and dropped three so far .cinnamon. .aptitude and >config, a couple of special files from .config wouldn't go. Tried the .cache but it is 1.2 gigs so I quit.

I only have a dual core machine and am not willing to spend days backing up my system.
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catweazel
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Re: Looking for backup answers.

Post by catweazel »

chazb wrote: Sat Sep 22, 2018 1:44 am I only have a dual core machine and am not willing to spend days backing up my system.
Well, that's your choice If your data isn't all that important to you.

You really don't need to do anything with Thunderbird if your mail service supports IMAP, and there's no point in backing up firefox if you regularly export your links or use the built-in sync function.

With Thunderbird, you simply backup /home/$USER/.thunderbird. It's a hidden direcory. To restore it after a reinstall you simply copy the hidden direcory back to where it came from before you start Thunderbird for the first time.
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slipstick
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Re: Looking for backup answers.

Post by slipstick »

All your Firefox settings and bookmarks are in the profile folder in ~/.mozilla/firefox. This folder will have a name like xxxxxxxx.default where xxxxxxxx is a string of letters and numbers, like mwad0hks.default. Similarly, all your TBird settings and emails are in the TBird profile folder in ~/.thunderbird. This will have a similar xxxxxxxx.default name like the one in FF. You can copy these folders (with all their subfolders) and install them in the same place on the new OS. You will also need to edit the profiles.ini files in ~/.thunderbird and in ~/.mozilla/firefox so that the "Path=xxxxxxxx.default" statement points to the correct profile, as the newly installed version of FF and TB will likely have different names for the profile folders.

Other hidden files and folders for installed applications can be copied as they contain your individual settings for the application. Occasionally this can cause a conflict if the new OS has a newer version of the app - in that case you can remove the corresponding hidden file or folder, uninstall and reinstall the app, and then manually set it up again.
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AndyMH
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Re: Looking for backup answers.

Post by AndyMH »

There are a whole host of backup utilities for linux, each with their own advocates. For file level backup you can use timeshift for root, backintime or luckybackup for home or write your own scripts to run rsync (most backup utilities act as a front end for rsync). Others include aptik.

For partition images the 'favourite' appears to be clonezilla but I prefer redo. I think both of these are front-ends for partclone.

Personally I don't think you can have too many backups. I use timeshift and backintime running automatically and backing up daily. I use redo to take partition images on a less frequent basis.
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Flemur
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Re: Looking for backup answers.

Post by Flemur »

chazb wrote: Sat Sep 22, 2018 1:44 amI have discovered that I can back up my desktop, and the Firefox bookmarks, by just drag and drop to my usb thumb drive, Tried that with Thunderbird and ran into Permissions problems,
Backup your entire /home/username, then restore the settings/files you think you need in the new OS.

My $HOME is < 10MB once I clear out the pointless icons, firefox cache, and such.
I think permission are a useless endeavor. but it is a Unix thing and must be lived with.
Permissions are a very trivial issue once you get used to them.
I can always download and install Thunderbird. I have read in the forum that I should backup Firefox, but Firefox come built in the new OS, so what is the point?
They're probably talking about backing up the settings, bookmarks, add-ons, etc. which aren't part of the install.
I only have a dual core machine and am not willing to spend days backing up my system.
Copying your entire $HOME to a usb device should take a few seconds, unless you have movies and stuff there, too.
Please edit your original post title to include [SOLVED] if/when it is solved!
Your data and OS are backed up....right?
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Re: Looking for backup answers.

Post by Petermint »

You do not mention the size of your disk. USB3 magnetic disks are really cheap. You can backup everything there. A month or two after your upgrade, when you look for that file or application you use occasionally, everything is on your backup disk.

The copy to the disk can run while you are asleep.
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Re: Looking for backup answers.

Post by AZgl1800 »

In Firefox, you only need to login in to SYNC.

Once you do that, every computer you use, that has Firefox logged into Sync will have the same bookmarks, preferences, tabs, or whatever you choose to sync.

for /home, my personal preference is LuckyBackup which I have pointed to a USB HDD.
takes about 15 minutes to set up the profile so that it knows where to save the backups to.

it uses Grsync as the backup tool.
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chazb
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Re: Looking for backup answers.

Post by chazb »

I have another idea; I have two computers, two hard drives, two keyboards and two mice. So I put LM 18.3 on the other computer and then link the two computers, then transfer the the necessary files from 17 to 18.3, would this work? Would it be simpler?

The link would be via an either net cable. The i suppose I could use USB, but I think the either net cable would be faster. Creating a Server Client relationship between the two computers, kinda like a master slave, as in Microsoft.
vansloneker

Re: Looking for backup answers.

Post by vansloneker »

For Firefox, it's easy to copy the files with bookmarks, preferences, logins and cookies, if of any importance to you. That might save you a lot of work. Not meant to be impolite but it's easy found in a search machine how to do it.

Personally, I don't use SYNC as I don't want my passwords etc. to be on a Mozilla server.
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chazb
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Re: Looking for backup answers.

Post by chazb »

catweazel wrote: Sat Sep 22, 2018 1:50 am Well, that's your choice If your data isn't all that important to you.

You really don't need to do anything with Thunderbird if your mail service supports IMAP, and there's no point in backing up firefox if you regularly export your links or use the built-in sync function.

With Thunderbird, you simply backup /home/$USER/.thunderbird. It's a hidden direcory. To restore it after a reinstall you simply copy the hidden direcory back to where it came from before you start Thunderbird for the first time.
Well I am fortunate to have another hard drive fo my laptop and it has 18.3 on it now. The desktop went well, but the bookmarks for Firefox is not going well. I guess I am going to have to figure out how to use on of the backup tools.
vansloneker

Re: Looking for backup answers.

Post by vansloneker »

What works for me is to copy "places.sqlite" from the old to the new profile folder.
(with browser NOT opened)
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JerryF
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Re: Looking for backup answers.

Post by JerryF »

chazb wrote: Sat Sep 22, 2018 1:44 am ...Tried that with Thunderbird and ran into Permissions problems, I think permission are a useless endeavor. but it is a Unix thing and must be lived with...
I think a lot of others would disagree with that. Directory and file permissions are a necessity. Not only *unix systems but Windows uses permissions too.
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Re: Looking for backup answers.

Post by JerryF »

AndyMH wrote: Sat Sep 22, 2018 4:18 am ...
For file level backup you can use timeshift for root, backintime or luckybackup for home...
Timeshift can backup your home too. By default, it's not set to do so, but you can change that in settings.

+1 for Aptik.
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Re: Looking for backup answers.

Post by AZgl1800 »

JerryF wrote: Thu Sep 27, 2018 10:53 am
AndyMH wrote: Sat Sep 22, 2018 4:18 am ...
For file level backup you can use timeshift for root, backintime or luckybackup for home...
Timeshift can backup your home too. By default, it's not set to do so, but you can change that in settings.

+1 for Aptik.
while Timeshift can be told to backup /home, the results are not really useful.
you can't read the files and pull out a single file should you want just the one.
and adding all of your data files to Timeshift, will extend a recovery process by several orders of magnitude in time. Best to just leave it alone as TJ designed it, for the OS.

BackInTime is another /home backup program that I don't like, for the very reason that the backups are totally useless for being able to navigate thru the files with NEMO.
a restore, is an all or none situation, and that is NOT good.

that is why I stay with LuckyBackup, it makes a Mirror Image of /home and NEMO can cruise through the backup just like you were looking at the original files.
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Re: Looking for backup answers.

Post by AndyMH »

you can't read the files and pull out a single file should you want just the one.
Yes, you can. There is a browse button on the menu bar at the top from which you can view your snapshots and copy files. If you want you can also browse through your snapshots with nemo.
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Re: Looking for backup answers.

Post by JerryF »

AZgl1500 wrote: Thu Sep 27, 2018 11:09 am
while Timeshift can be told to backup /home, the results are not really useful.
you can't read the files and pull out a single file should you want just the one.
and adding all of your data files to Timeshift, will extend a recovery process by several orders of magnitude in time. Best to just leave it alone as TJ designed it, for the OS.

BackInTime is another /home backup program that I don't like, for the very reason that the backups are totally useless for being able to navigate thru the files with NEMO.
a restore, is an all or none situation, and that is NOT good.

that is why I stay with LuckyBackup, it makes a Mirror Image of /home and NEMO can cruise through the backup just like you were looking at the original files.
Although I mentioned that Timeshift can backup home, I wouldn't use it, nor do I use it for home.

Yes, I agree. Timeshift is best for the system only.

I'm a backup of a backup kind of guy and use Timeshift for just the system, and Aptik and Grsync for system and home. Aptik is easy to use. Grsync is a little more detailed.
377Ohms

Re: Looking for backup answers.

Post by 377Ohms »

vansloneker wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 7:29 am Personally, I don't use SYNC as I don't want my passwords etc. to be on a Mozilla server.
Your Sync password is not stored on Mozilla's servers. From here: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Labs/Weave/Crypto we see:
  • Data is encrypted on the client by default, using a passphrase known only to the user.
  • Server operators are unable to disclose information, because they can't read it.
With other words: The "client" being referred to above is the Firefox browser running in your machine. Sync encryption is done end-to-end between browsers and each browser must have the correct pre-shared passphrase, which you create and protect. Mozilla's servers just store the encrypted Sync data and since Mozilla doesn't have your secret passphrase, the stored data is unreadable by Mozilla. Of-course the transport of the encrypted Sync data is done over SSL/TLS. There is a more detailed explanation at the link above.

If you are really concerned about Firefox security don't worry so much about Sync. Instead, the single most important thing you can do is set a Master Password in Firefox. Again, referring to the link above:
We strongly recommend that you enable a Master Password for your Firefox, which causes your passwords and form history to be encrypted; this will protect you if your computer is stolen or is infected with a trojan.
To set a Master Password in Firefox do this:

Tools > Options > Privacy & Security > Check the "Use a master password" box.

A pop-up will appear prompting you to set (or change) your Master Password. Note: Unlike Sync, different Firefox installations on different machines can have different Master Passwords.
rbmorse

Re: Looking for backup answers.

Post by rbmorse »

AZgl1500 wrote: Thu Sep 27, 2018 11:09 am
BackInTime is another /home backup program that I don't like, for the very reason that the backups are totally useless for being able to navigate thru the files with NEMO.
This is not correct, unless BackinTime is different under Mint that it is under both Ubuntu and Fedora. One can access backintime backup stores with the default file browser. Individual backed up files can be accessed and manipulated. Backintime is just a front end for rsync. Maybe a matter of how the options are set.

As for Timeshift, I just accessed the backup store and copied off a number of files using nemo (the default file manager). I'm not sure why you can't.

EDIT: Just installed Backintime to Mint for testing Did a test backup/restore cycle with no errors. Nemo can enter the backup store, access, read and copy files without problem. I've used backintime for years on a number of different distributions and it never gave be a bit of trouble. Not really sure why I didn't set it up on the Mint machine before now.
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Re: Looking for backup answers.

Post by jglen490 »

There are a whole bunch of backup methods and applications - pick, or two. Use them regularly and back up to an external device. All that you really need to backup is anything in /home/<you>, plus any other directories that you have added to the filesystem that contain data that's important to you.

I use rsync on the command line and I back up to any one of three external hard drives that I use in a rotating pattern. Your pattern could be daily, weekly, monthly, or whatever you choose. Your pattern could be to make full backups every time, or full plus incrementals, or anything else - just do it!

It takes time, but it's simple ...
377Ohms

Re: Looking for backup answers.

Post by 377Ohms »

AndyMH wrote: Sat Sep 22, 2018 4:18 am For partition images the 'favourite' appears to be clonezilla but I prefer redo.
FYI, Wikipedia says the last stable release of Redo Backup was more than six years ago and the www.redobackup.org site looks like it's parked at namecheap.com. In comparison Clonezilla's last stable release was a year ago and their Web site https://clonezilla.org/ is up. Both probably still work OK, but I would be concerned about the long term viability of Redo.
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