On Sat, Oct 09, 2004 at 12:01:17PM +1000, CB wrote: > Can anyone suggest approaches for backing up a small home network (2 > linux pcs and a linux/winxp dual-booting laptop). My criteria are: > > * automaticity. It just won't happen unless it does itself once set up. > I'll probably have to trigger the laptop one manually, but even there > I'd like user data to be regularly (or even constantly?) synced with > backup if possible. > > * use of existing media: I can't buy anything new and expensive, so have > to be able to back up either to cd's (not likely though: would need a > stack) or an external usb hard drive. My machines only have a total of > about 150GB of disk space. > > * ease of setup. Obviously I'll have to spend a bit of time to set it > up, but I'd really like it not to take me days, and I'm no linux expert. > > Possible things I've glanced at include rsync (at least for user data), > cpio, tar, backuppc (anyone used it? looks interesting), mondorescue. > > I'm interested in real personal experience: it seems to me that any of > these tools *could* do what I need but I'd love to hear from someone who > has really used them with success. > I have a DDS4 Tape Drive in the server at work but you may want to take a look at AMANDA (http://www.amanda.org/) RPMs should still be available from RedHat. It is a network based (the "N" in AMANDA is network.) Once set up, I just keep feeding it tapes. It will check for a tape (if you set up a cron job for that) and notify you if the correct tape isn't in the drive. If the correct tape isn't in when you go to run your job, it will write the back up at a reduced level to a hard disk. The thing I'm not sure of for you, is using a HD instead of tape. I used to be on the amanda-users list but just got to the point that I didn't have enough time to follow all of the lists so it may have been added by now. Patrick
