I'll confess I don't do backups regularly ๐
In the past, I always followed the same routine: I start backing up my files but quickly run into issues and give up.
Recently I corrupted one of the system files, nothing major but I have to reinstall the OS in near future
So it prompted me to think about the whole strategy of backup. Before I waste 2 weeks trying to build "the perfect backuping systemTM" (and give up), I would like to get a peak how others are doing it.
Choose any number and tell me I'm an idiot for even asking that ๐คฃ
- how much (of you personal) time you spend to assure regular backuping?
- how do you backup settings of your software?
- how do you deal with software that doesn't provide explicit export of settings? do you do it manually by an occasional export once in a blue moon?
- do you use configuration managers like Ansible to quickly install/restore settings?
- do you backup binaries/installation packages?
- do you backup mobile apps and their settings?
- do you backup snapshots of OS? if yes, please explain your strategy dealing with them
- do you include temporary personal files into backup? For example: a shopping list
- do you copy system files in a separate folder for further backup or instead put the paths of system files for backup software to grab the latest version?
- do you backup logs? if yes, please explain your reasoning and situation.
- what's your folder (hierarchy) of the drive where you store the backups? How did you come up with it?
- do you keep all backup files on a single drive/RAID or you have a separate storage for groups of backup files? For example such groups: drive for Windows backups, drive for networking hardware, drive for mobile devices, drive for server related stuff, drive for grandparents' backups (๐)
- do you keep files residing only in a cloud (excluded from backup)?
- do you backup your emails? if yes, how do you filter them to exclude junk from backup?
- do you backup your online profiles? like Facebook & google
- how and when do you clean old backups?
- what do you consider when buying a new drive for backuping needs?
- how often do you test your backups?
including ~/.config and ~/.local ๐ณ?
also haven't you got the home folder filled with random installation junk or is it just me ๐?
Overall, thank you for the recs, I'll check it up ๐
Yes including, I just exclude temp files. But yes /home folders do pick up a lot of crud over time and is worth going through a bit and removing stuff. I also run 'ncdu' to find the biggest wasters of space. It's that 20% that wastes 80% of the space.