[NEVER MIND] Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

[GreyGeek]

Re: [NEVER MIND] Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

The scripts I used to backup with tar are here.

I never did see the point of doing a full HD backup, since the OS could be easily reinstalled, so I only backed up my apps, data and configs. But if I were to do that I'd use what you settled on.

[askrieger]

Re: [NEVER MIND] Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

@GG: I like your scripts better than mine and using cron instead of my increasingly faulty memory is probably a good idea (if I can remember to keep my USB drives turned on).

@Snowhog: Like GG, I assume that if I had to replace my hard drive, I'd just reinstall from a CD. If I didn't have one of that release (I usually do.), I'd order it from OSDisk.com (or wherever) for a couple of bucks and it would arrive about the same time as a new HD from NewEgg (or wherever). However, I think I was still using windoze the last time I lost a hard drive due to a hardware failure (some time in the last century). But, I am not sysadmin with mission critical servers to maintain. Nobody is playing "Global Thermonuclear War" (to quote an old movie) on any of my boxes.

[Snowhog]

Re: [NEVER MIND] Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

Nobody is playing "Global Thermonuclear War" (to quote an old movie) on any of my boxes.

"War Games"

I remember when it came out. For it's time, it was not a bad movie. Not bad at all.

Back on topic. Reinstalling the OS from LiveCD and then restoring from ones last full and then incremental backups is of course, a bomb-proof way to get your system back 'as it was' - since the last such set of backups. I've no issue with that. Getting it set up, and then actually making these backups is of course, an absolute requirement.

Mine is a laptop, so I don't leave it on when I'm not using it. Therefore, instituting scheduled backups (cron jobs) isn't an option - I'd need to do it manually, and remember to do it regularly.

[askrieger]

Re: [NEVER MIND] Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

Good point: I'd forgotten to mention that my third box is a laptop that I have to REMEMBER to turn on (if it isn't plugged in) to keep it backed up. So far, this hasn't been a problem, (It's usually plugged in.), but as time progresses, this may be the place where my system breaks down. The first rule of troubleshooting is to look for a problem between the keyboard and chair. Just like the most dangerous part in an automobile is the nut behind the wheel.

[GreyGeek]

Re: [NEVER MIND] Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

.....
Mine is a laptop, so I don't leave it on when I'm not using it. Therefore, instituting scheduled backups (cron jobs) isn't an option - I'd need to do it manually, and remember to do it regularly.

You just wrote the number one reason why I don't my scripts any more. I, too, turn off my laptop (as apposed to leaving my workstation on at night specifically to do the backup) when it is not in use.

So, because all of my critical stuff is in my home account I burn it off to DVDs every so often. And, I have some 8GB USB sticks onto which I more frequently copy my often changed data directories.

[Snowhog]

Re: [NEVER MIND] Need immediate help with fsarchiver!

Finished making a 'bare metal' backup of my HD using Clonezilla to my external USB 500GB HD. Took less than ten minutes. I'm not concerned about incremental backups (yet). Having a full-system backup I can use is good enough. I'll just make sure to create one before and then after, any major changes. My banking data is backed up to another USB HD, and is made each time I use/exit Quicken. That is the most important 'data' I have. So, even if I had to replace my laptop HD and restore from the last full backup, even if that backup wasn't made 'yesterday,' I'll still have what's really important, and that data will always be up to date.

I've saved a copy of my Bookmarks file (Konqueror) and my Contacts folders/files to another external source as well. I'll replace those as changes are made.

I know that this isn't ideal, but it will serve me well enough - for now.