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Description
Ubuntu is a really great operating system. It has every feature you could imagine, but one.
A pre-installed backup tool, simple to use and configure. I'm not talking about a Time-Machine-like program, the 3D view is useful, but not necessary at all.
This tool should be able to:
1) Backup to any remote location via local network, wifi or ethernet.
2) Allow user to select what he wants to Backup including some system folders (with a policyKit authentication to do so)
3) Allow precise schedule configuration
4) Allow easy restore, via a simple GUI, of any document, folder or else that have been saved.
5) Allow a command-line interface for ease of use on servers.
6) Integrate tightly with the Ubiquity installer, so that a reinstall should allow to restore complete backups (this should be done after partitionning, and dispatch the saved folders to the correct partitions, and it should detect automatically the backups, and propose to restore latest or previous, which option would show a list of previous backups)
There are already some tools that allow this kind of things. But none of them is integrated in Ubiquity, or has a simple GUI for restore.
I think the GUI should be a slimmed-down Nautilus Window (in browser mode), with just a different background color and some buttons to restore. Drag and drop should be allowed.
Backup should be proposed at first login of any user, and allow selection of a partition or a remote disk.
It could be great to be able to de-activate automatic backups, and to do them manually, to a CD or DVD for example.
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Comments
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ofir_k wrote on the 14 May 08 at 18:32
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It's a lot of work building a good backup tool...
But say someone is willing to build one based on your suggestion - he can't!
You need to give more details. I think that most developers not implementing ideas since they are too abstract, and planning it alone requires a lot of time.
Why not giving a full detailed specification of how the tool should look like, act like, what it should do etc (the developer will determine the 'how').
I am for the idea (+1), but still, if someone suggests an idea that he wants to be implemented, he should give a detailed specification (you don't have to be a developer to do so. I don't need to know any programming language. You just have to know what exactly you are suggesting).
P.S
I didn't meant only to you, randall29, but to everyone who suggests an idea.
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randall29 wrote on the 14 May 08 at 19:35
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I was thinking of a software that would use a rsync backend to move files.
First backup would be complete files (so that would take a lot of space, maybe we could think of a really fast compression/uncompression algorithm, to be able to browse the directory tree on the fly), next backups would be hardlinks of anything that hadn't changed, and a copy or a kind of diff-file for every file that was odified in between the backups.
So rsync to copy, linking the files, and a kind of "packaging" algorithm that could make every backup in a single file or compressed directory (think like OS X bundles, but compressed to save space).
The GUI for preferences should be simple, with an option to turn ON/OFF the automatic backup, then the scheduling options (greyed out if OFF is triggered), and the location for backups, finally, a big button to backup manually, with an option to give a specific name to your backup.
An icon should be running in the tray (which you could hide if you don't like it), a right click would bring 2 options: Backup nom and Preferences, left clicking brings the restore browser).
Restore browser, as I said, should be split up in two parts: a right (or left) column showing the dates of Backups (and eventually the NAMES that you can give them), clicking one of these should uncompress the backup bundle, and show the whole backup directory tree, browseable as in nautilus (browser mode), with Back/forward buttons on the toolbar, and a "restore single file" (which restores the file that is selected) button, plus a "Restore Whole backup" button (program should bring a confirmation in both cases).
A command line interface should be available for servers, with a simple thing like:
ubackup -d ##to define which directories to backup
ubackup -l ##to list directories to be saved
ubackup -r BackupName ##to restore
ubackup -e BackupName ##to remove backup
ubackup -s ##to backup the directory list
etc...
Backup Tool should keep a track of the directory list (directories to backup) in a single file, editable by hand.
Integration with Nautilus/Dolphin would be a plus, with a drop-down list. When you select a directory, the drop down shows some options (like Add to Backup list, Backup Now, remove from backup list).
The interest of a command-line based backup (and based on opensource tools like rsync) is that the tool could be toolkit-independant, thus developed for Ubuntu and Kubuntu as well.
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randall29 wrote on the 15 May 08 at 10:06
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Areca Backup seems fine, but runs on java, I think.
It would add another weight to the install CD.
However, this application totally fulfills the Wishlist I wrote upwards.
It even has the ability to encrypt backups, which is really nice for enterprise consumers.
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davosmith wrote on the 15 May 08 at 11:28
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How about something that optionally integrates with the Amazon S3 storage (much like JungleDisk does - http://www.jungledisk.com ) to allow easy offsite backup?
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Primož Papič wrote on the 15 May 08 at 17:40
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It would be good if it would be also available in qt,
Arcea is gtk only...
I'm Kubuntu user...
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