Backup / Restore

Forum: Other Help Topics
Topic: Backup / Restore
started by: newOldUser

Posted by newOldUser on Sep. 05 2005,13:05

Here's the build up...

I'm using a DSL 1.4.0 frugal install with the grub boot loader. The machine has several partitions, the last one being hda6

The grub menu line looks like this:
kernel /boot/linux24 root=/dev/hda5 vga=normal nopcmcia acpi apm frugal dma toram mydsl=hda6 restore=hda5 home=hda5 opt=hda5 host=DSL140

Life is good.... DSL works fine. I can modify files and they will be backed up and restored from a backup file created on hda5

The other day I decided to make a manual backup to hda6. I clicked on the DSLpanel.... Backup/Restore button and entered hda6. The backup worked just fine. I went on my way doing other things with DSL.

The Punchline...

When I shutdown the system I noticed that the backup that's taken during shutdown didn't go to hda5 like it always does but instead went to hda6. This could cause some grief the next time I started, since it's going to restore from hda5.

So my question is...

Is this a feature or a flaw? I would think that at startup and shutdown the restore= parameter should always be used but maybe I'm wrong.

Posted by mikshaw on Sep. 05 2005,14:41

You changed the target for backup, so when you shut down the regular backup is written to the new target.
You must keep in mind that the scripts Robert has written for DSL are meant to be streamlined, small, and simple. The gui writes to /opt/.backup_device when you press one of the buttons. This file is what is used to dertemine the backup device when the filetool script is run (such as during shutdown).
Maybe there could be a "save setting" button instead of writing /opt/.backup_device automatically while restoring or backing up to avoid this situation. In order to do that, the filetool.sh would probably need to be changed as well.

Posted by SuperLou on Sep. 06 2005,17:42

Maybe in a frugal install with persistent home and opt have some way to not include /home or /opt by default too? Even after removing those I have some intersting interactions between the persitent folders and the backup. Its' my stupidity for forgetting to remove home and opt from filetool.lst but maybe a warning would be nice for other folk who might have been frustrated by the same. Although, most people probably figured it out a lot faster than me.

Posted by mikshaw on Sep. 06 2005,18:49

If you are using a persistent home and opt, there is little reason to use backup/restore, unless you are writing files to /etc or loading extensions that may overwrite your personal files.

Posted by SuperLou on Sep. 06 2005,19:22

There are some .dsl that write elsewhere I think so I had to reload them each boot. Unfortunatly they would overwrite the stuff in home or opt for config stuff so I have been using the backup restore to hold onto those files and put them back after the .dsl is finished abusing things. I think. There is probably a better way to do it.

Posted by mikshaw on Sep. 06 2005,23:49

I don't know if there is, apart from building a myDSL extension instead of using restore. It's essentially the same, except there is no automatic creation and overwriting of the backup file when you shut down.
Personally I have been trying, at least recently, to leave user configs out of extensions i build so there would be no overwriting. If an application wants a personal config in $HOME and doesn't automatically create one, a wrapper can be made to check for the presence of that file....seems to be a little less presumptuous that way, as far as i 'm concerned.

EDIT: Perhaps Robert might be interested in the possibility of including a toggle to the backup gui, something like "rename old backup", which could set a variable or add another line to /opt/.backup_device. filetool could check for this and move backup.tar.gz to backup.bak....or something like that. Just a thought.