There
are quite a few programs
for backing up files, some with graphical interfaces, some with web
interfaces and others which work from the command line. They are
mostly designed to do scheduled backups to a server or hard disc but I
wanted a straighforward way to make one-off backups of some large files
to DVDs or a USB drive. I decided, therefore, to use a simple command
line procedure to do most of the work. It takes only two commands to
create the archive and three to restore the archive and check it for
errors.
The beauty of the command line approach is that, once you have a
working procedure, you can save the commands in a text file (called a
shell script) and link it to an icon on your desktop. Anytime you need
to repeat the procedure, simply click the icon! The shell script also
serves to document the procedure and you can easily edit it if you need
to change it.
If you are new to the command line, I highly recommend the beginner's
introduction by Rosalyn Hunter.
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Software
Used
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I
use the Debian 4.0 GNU/Linux system but the methods described here
should work on most GNU/Linux and Unix systems with little or no
modification. The references to copy-and-paste assume you are using an
X-windows based graphical desktop system (I use Gnome but the
principles apply to almost any of the
desktop systems available for GNU/Linux and Unix).
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Command
Line
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This tutorial makes use of the command
line. If you are only used to point-and-click methods, don't be afraid!
The command line is your friend and, for some tasks, it is quicker and
easier than the available graphical software. To start typing commands,
open a console or terminal window (if you are using the Gnome desktop
look under Applications -> Accessories ->
Terminal).
You can copy-and-paste each command from this page into
the console window then edit it to suit your needs before pressing the
return key. The left and right arrow keys move the cursor, the delete
and backspace keys delete text. Anything you type or paste will be
inserted at the cursor position.
TIP: to copy,
select some text with the mouse then, to paste, simply move the mouse
to the destination and middle-click (press either the middle button or
the scroll wheel on your mouse).
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