[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: Backing up just my personal stuff (was: backing up a complete Debian GNU/Linux system)



On Thu, Aug 05, 1999 at 12:08:21AM +0200, Colin Marquardt wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> "All them backup mails, they make my head swim." (almost cited from
> the Gnus manual)
> 
> * Peter S Galbraith <GalbraithP@dfo-mpo.gc.ca> writes:
> [...]
> > I don't backup system files.  I backup kernels, /etc and
> > /var/lib/dpkg/status* files.  I also collect a list of installed
> > debs I can reinstall from CD:
> 
> > # dpkg --get-selections > /backup/debian.selections
> 
> That sounds good. But I wantmore :-): How could I get a list of things
> (i.e., directories/files) that are:
> 
> a) *not* managed by the package system or are changed since install
>    time
> 
> and/or
> 
> b) managed by the package system, but not on my CDs (e.g. stuff that
>    I updated from the net)
> 
> I have used the apt-cdrom install method, so I have the appropriate
> lines for the CDs in my /etc/apt/sources.list.
> 
> If I just had one (or, better, both) of these lists, I could then
> backup just my personal stuff. A ZIP drive could then be enough.
> 

I think what you'd most need to keep backups for would be found in:
   /etc          < Most, if not all of your configuration files
   /home         < or wherever your user home directories reside
   /usr/local    < where you should be keeping your custom stuff

There are probably some files in /var that would be handy on a
backup, dealing with the current state of your system.

On my system:
    /etc is a little over 3Mb
    /home is a bit over 118Mb  (geez, didn't know I had that much
                               junk there :/)
    /usr/local is about 760Mb  (723Mb of that is a partial mirror
                               of Debian)
    /var is 65Mb

To back them up (excluding my mirror) would take less than 250Mb.

Mike

[Private mail welcome, but no need to CC: me on list replies.]

--
Michael Merten
          ---> E-Mail: mikemerten@yahoo.com
          ---> NRA Life Member -- http://www.nra.org
          ---> Debian GNU/Linux Fan -- http://www.debian.org
          ---> CenLA-LUG Founder -- http://www.angelfire.com/la2/cenlalug
--
It is illegal to say "Oh, Boy" in Jonesboro, Georgia.


Reply to: