[ltp] Complete Backup (and restore)

[Ed Siegner]

Hi Adam,

Hum... There are many ways to back up a Linux system - all depending on
how things are setup.

For my own systems, I have partitioned my hard disk where the /home and
/usr/local are in there own partitions. Any software that was not on the
distribution CD is under /usr/local. I backup/archive these partitions
to CDs once a month, or more, depending on the level of change, along
with the configuration files found in the /etc subdirectory (XFree86,
iptables or ipchains, network information and other odds and ends.)  If
something should happen to the hard disk - failure, hack, or what every,
I will use the original distribution CDs to recreate the system and then
use the backup/archive CDs to restore the 2 fore mentioned
subdirectories. I keep electronic notes on configuration procedures in
cookbook/HOWTO style, so reinstallation is easy. 

>From your discription, it sounds like you have a full disk. I didn't
sense you have a tape or CD burner? If you have access to a large
"shared resource" on a machine that can hold your backup using NFS or
Samba, you could "tar" the fore mentioned partitions to a file on them.
Does this sound like a solution you want to look into?

Ed	
-- 
Ed Siegner   Voice: 530.757.3418  Fax: 530.792.8703
Systems Developer
University of California, Davis
One Shields Ave
IET-Client Services / 3820 Chiles Rd
Davis, Ca. 95616
ejsiegner@ucdavis.edu  http://irlinux.ucdavis.edu/eds/