System "almost" perfect! (SOLVED)

[Thad E Ginathom]

...Backups!

Is all you need. No need for anything more complicated. /etc is so full of customised files, that restoring the whole thing would be far too major for a simple screwup

Editing configuration files is often experimental. One can keep generational .0, .1, .2 and so on copies.

There are some places where this cannot be done, because all the files in a directory are processed in some way in order --- then copies can be made to another directory.

[briandc]

General advice. Before editing /etc/fstab, make a copy

$ cd /etc
$ sudo cp fstab fstab.0

off-topic: wondering now if /etc could somehow be stored in a git repository,
with some way to revert to a previous version during early boot.
Secondly also wondering if that would lead to anything useful

Hi shimpe,
(also off topic) .. -How do I make/install the speedreading app on your technogems website link page? I'm downloading the packages right now, but as I don't know much about compiling..

thanks!
brian

[briandc]

...Backups!

Is all you need. No need for anything more complicated. /etc is so full of customised files, that restoring the whole thing would be far too major for a simple screwup

Editing configuration files is often experimental. One can keep generational .0, .1, .2 and so on copies.

There are some places where this cannot be done, because all the files in a directory are processed in some way in order --- then copies can be made to another directory.

Yes, but is backing up the home directory enough?? Or should it include /usr or other directories too?

Remastersys is looking like a good option. Basically making a distro to store on DVD isn't a bad idea.


brian

[Thad E Ginathom]

Yes, but is backing up the home directory enough?? Or should it include /usr or other directories too?

No, it is not enough. You should have a backup of your / file system too

Investigate and use the tools that are both appropriate and suit you, for backing up different things on your system --- as per previous posts. It is a research in itself, and an important one. So far, I have simply not found the "one perfect backup tool" for Ubuntu. I might wish that I had the CLI facility and scripting skills that earned my living 15 years ago, but brain cells fade and I don't. I do still use tar for system-file backups, because if I rsync-ed them onto an external ntfs hdd then all the ownership and permissions would get screwed up.