This document provides recommendations for backing up a personal Linux system. It suggests considering the amount of data, frequency of changes, and potential impact of data loss. It then discusses options for backing up the operating system, work in progress, and configuration settings. Specific backup media that are recommended include DVDs/CDs, online services like Dropbox, USB drives, large external hard drives, and other machines. Tools like Back In Time and command line utilities like tar are presented for automating backups. Finally, it stresses the importance of being able to restore from backups and having a simple, regular backup routine.

1. Linux Backup
Alec Clews
@alecthegeek
alec.clews@gmail.com

2. Assumptions
● Linux
● Personal System
– Not enterprise backup plan!!
● Simple and quick

3. Because one day....
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4. Ask yourself...
● Amount of data
● Frequency of change
● Affect of loss

5. Restoring your work
● Linux Operating System
● Software and settings
● Release DVD, paper notebook, ...
● Work in progress
● Documents, account files, email, code,...
● USB Drive, Cloud, DVD,
● Keys, personal config settings
● Multiple copies
● CD/DVD, USB thumb drive, Online

6. Backup Media
● CD/DVD ROM
● Online e.g. DropBox
● Small media e.g. USB Thumb Drives
● Large Portable Media
● Another Machine
● Remote Storage
– email servers
– "cloud"

7. DVD/CD ROM
● Off-site
● Robust,cheap, universal, long lived
● Static files
● Media collections (beware size)
● ssh and GnuPG keys
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8. Online
● “Set and forget”
● Limited free storage
● Useful for passwords (encrypted), rc files etc
● Keep files in online folder, use links to original
location

9. Large Drives
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10. Large Drives contd.
● Cheap (1Tb < A$80!)
● Simple to use
● Format as NTFS. Universal restore
● Do not encrypt
● You still need off-site copies of critical info.

11. Tools
● Drag and drop in file manager
● Back In Time http://backintime.le-web.org/
● Command Line interface e.g.
$ tar czf /media/backups/bkps_$(date
+%C_%m_%d­%k_%M).tgz $HOME
$ cp ­a <src> <backup>

12. Plan
● How much
● Use files analysis tools
● When
● Weekly?
● Daily?
● Online?

13. And Finally
● Backupas are useless without a way to restore
● Your hardware will fail and you will make
mistakes. Backups will save your mental health
● Simple plans and regular routines
● Make sure you backup hidden files and
directories
●
.
In Linux the hidden names begins with “ ”