DSL settings backup method?

Forum: Other Help Topics
Topic: DSL settings backup method?
started by: Zucca

Posted by Zucca on Sep. 04 2006,13:47

I still have that old DSL with no unionfs. I have read about unionfs and I have 'the basic clue' how it works. But here's some of the open quostions that I have about new DSL and unionfs:

- When DSL backups information to my memory stick does it occur only when I give a command (earlier it was filetool.sh backup and it ran also when booting) or immediately like in Ubuntu? Ubuntu's way is to mount memory stick as part of the whole filesystem and therefore it cannot be unmounted until boot.

- Do new DSL compress all the files to memory stick like old DSL?

- Is it possible not to use unionfs with new DSL? Without boot option. Booting remotely it cannot be done if the only way is via boot option.

- Is it possible to mount tmpfs as unionfs? (Read as: Does unionfs mount have to be in ext3 format?)

- Does unionfs solve the problem when one mount gets full the other mount will be used then? Very nice with old computers with many HD's. (ie: one mount for whole system and multiple unionfs mounts to /home)

If any of these questions have answered earlier, please paste a URL of quote some text. I searched 'unionfs' from wiki already.

Posted by mikshaw on Sep. 04 2006,16:22

The backup process is automated as long as you have a writeable partition specified in /opt/.backup_device. The powerdown.sh script does this. As you said, it can also be done manually at any time.

As far as I know, there has been no recent change to the backup/restore system.

I'm not sure about disabling unionfs wthout a boot option. Your remote machine must have a bootloader, yes? Have you tried adding the legacy boot option to the remote machine so it will always be applied?

I don't know anything else about unionfs =o)

Posted by roberts on Sep. 04 2006,18:01

I implemented unionfs mainly to support unc type extensions.
Now, I am finally able to run full XFree86.unc on my Sony Picture book 1024x480 with only 112MB useable memory. It is for better support of low ram machines. There has been no official change to the backup/restore method.

However, I am sure that many new ways could be deployed to take snapshots of union space. Perhaps even rsync'ing to a persistent store. However none seem complelling at the moment. That is not to say that new ways are not welcomed for further discussion/investigation.

DSL is tinker toys for the mind.

Posted by Zucca on Sep. 05 2006,07:40

How does *.unc extensions really work?

Posted by Zucca on Sep. 05 2006,12:31

To keep this simple and clear I started a < new topic > for unionfs related Q's.