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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Recommendations for a Linux system backup tool (self.linux)

submitted 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) by tester1121 to c/[email protected]

31 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I am currently using EndeavourOS for my laptop. Is there a backup solution that is easy to use, and can be run from the EndeavourOS install media without internet? (RSync is included, but no other backup tools are included, to my knowledge.) I don't want to use another ISO due to space constraints on my USB.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Timeshift for system files, Backintime for user data.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Neither of those are backup tools. They're snapshotting tools.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Snapshots are incremental backups.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Synchronization_and_backup_programs#Incremental_backups

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

They are often incremental but they're still not a backup.

They are local restore points. That's better than nothing at all as a local copy can protect against a very limited kind of data hazard and quite handy indeed but not a backup. A backup is always an independent copy.

If your entire machine was to blow up, a backup must be able to retain your data. A copy on the same disks will not.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Now I get your point, sorry. You can use both Timeshift and BackInTime as snapshot tools, but also configure them to create snapshots on a different drive, making it an actual backup.

I for example use Timeshift in Rsync mode for that reason even though I'm also using Btrfs, which Timeshift supports, but only for non-backup snapshots.

Sorry for the confusion, I guess when suggesting both those tools one always has to specify that you need to save snapshots on a secondary drive for it to be a backup.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

I tried Backintime and Timeshift recently.

In Backintime I added the dirs I wanted to backup and where to make the backups, pressed "run" and it said there's nothing to do. Uninstalled. Later on I found out it had added stuff to my crontab even though I never asked it for a recurring schedule.

Timeshift started by asking for the root password right off the bat. Uninstalled. Like, I know it will want root access eventually but at least buy me dinner first. How do I know what a program I've never used before wants to do to my system?