From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed May 7 12:37:43 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id AB17E106567E for ; Wed, 7 May 2008 12:37:43 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from frank@esperance-linux.co.uk) Received: from mailout.zetnet.co.uk (mailout.zetnet.co.uk [194.247.47.231]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 37AEF8FC13 for ; Wed, 7 May 2008 12:37:42 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from frank@esperance-linux.co.uk) Received: from irwell.zetnet.co.uk ([194.247.47.48] helo=zetnet.co.uk) by mailout.zetnet.co.uk with esmtp (Exim 4.63) (envelope-from ) id 1Jtitu-0008CD-Hg; Wed, 07 May 2008 13:37:38 +0100 Received: from melon.esperance-linux.co.uk (54-144.adsl.zetnet.co.uk [194.247.54.144]) by zetnet.co.uk (8.14.1/8.14.1/Debian-9) with ESMTP id m47CbbOe008045; Wed, 7 May 2008 13:37:37 +0100 Received: by melon.esperance-linux.co.uk (Postfix, from userid 1001) id B2352FCA4AF; Wed, 7 May 2008 13:37:28 +0100 (BST) Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 13:37:28 +0100 From: Frank Shute To: David Banning Message-ID: <20080507123728.GA4084@melon.esperance-linux.co.uk> References: <20080506160602.GA27098@skytracker.ca> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20080506160602.GA27098@skytracker.ca> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.3i X-Face: *}~{PHnDTzvXPe'wl_-f%!@+r5; VLhb':*DsX%wEOPg\fDrXWQJf|2\,92"DdS%63t*BHDyQ|OWo@Gfjcd72eaN!4%NE{0]p)ihQ1MyFNtWL X-Operating-System: FreeBSD 6.3-RELEASE-p2 i386 X-Organisation: 'Esperance Linux' X-Greylist: Sender IP whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-3.0 (zetnet.co.uk [194.247.46.1]); Wed, 07 May 2008 13:37:38 +0100 (BST) Cc: questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: suggestion on a backup utility X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: Frank Shute List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 07 May 2008 12:37:43 -0000 On Tue, May 06, 2008 at 12:06:03PM -0400, David Banning wrote: > > I wonder if anyone can recommend a good backup utility for FreeBSD. > If it's in the ports, great. I would like to just specify which > directories I would like to backup, how often and have it tar or zip > the files into a directory - if it has off-site ftp, fine, but I can > do that part myself via crontab. > > I realize I could just make a script file with some tar commands, > but I'm looking for something that is quicker to maintain and > allows me to organize what I'm backing up. > > I have been using reoback but recently I ran into some problems > with is duplicating files X 10! - I looked into to solving it but > it might be easier to just try something else. For backing up purposes, I use a number of tools. For files that I'm constantly changing, then I check them into subversion. This includes the files for my website, since it is in a constant state of flux. Then it's just a case of checking out the tree and running $ svn update on it on other machines when I edit anything. For databases (fairly static with few updates), I just drop the database and scp the file to other machines/disks. For a tree that I'm constantly adding to but the content is then unchanging, my LaTeX letters, templates & other documents, I use rsync: $ rsync -avruz ./latex/ frank@melon:~/latex Hence, just a few files that I've added since last backup get copied across. I backup config files with scp along with any scripts I may have written. I use these methods to keep a server, workstation and laptop in sync. I don't archive anything (eg. write it to CD or DVD). In case of fire, I grab the laptop & run. In case of asteroid impact, my data dies with me ;) My audio CDs will be covered by insurance. If I had directories with piles of data in it, then I'd use dump/restore but I don't. OS files, I don't give a monkeys about, I can always rebuild, ditto ports. As you see, I think you should use a number of different tools & strategies dependent on the type of data you are backing up. They're all scriptable but I tend to just backup when something has changed rather than using cron. You soon get into the habit. All my machines are protected by UPSes. Regards, -- Frank Contact info: http://www.shute.org.uk/misc/contact.html