On Wed, 2010-08-18 at 14:09 +0300, Nganon wrote:
>
>
> On 17 August 2010 22:34, Enrico Weigelt <weig...@metux.de> wrote:
> For things I'd like to keep an history (eg. /etc) I'm using
> git, and
> pushing the repo to a remote server (denying non-fastfoward
> updates
> there, so an theorectical highjacker cannot destroy my
> history)
>
>
> Using git for /etc is a great idea.
> Thanks.
>
Another option is:
* app-backup/dirvish
Latest version available: 1.2.1
Latest version installed: 1.2.1
Size of downloaded files: 47 kB
Homepage: http://www.dirvish.org/
Description: Dirvish is a fast, disk based, rotating network
backup system.
License: OSL-2.0
Works by first creating a copy (--init) and then hard-linking subsequent
versions of files/directories back to the original original if its
identical. If a file is changed/new, it is copied instead of linked so
actual space usage quickly stabilises even with a varying number of
versions. Backup over the network (this is how I have configured mine)
uses rsync over ssh with keys and is "pull" from a cron job on the
backup server or manual on demand (i.e., server initiated).
Version management is by a reasonably sophisticated date of version
scheme where by running "dirvish-expire" deletes out of date versions
(runs in a cron job). The smart part is that once the last hard link to
file is deleted, its gone, otherwise its kept in the remaining
versions :)
Restore is a simple matter of identifying the version you want and
copying it back - Ive restored individual files through to complete
systems after total disk failure.
Can do includes/excludes, whole systems or just directories such as /etc
and can be easily automated.
Doesnt use compression, but most backup regimes (every day for a weekly
rota + a Sunday kept for 6 months) stabilise at about 2x the original
(gross) copy size, no matter how many copies with average changes
between versions. Though large scale changes such as an "emerge -e
world" will take more as it will generate new copies of most files.
Downside is it will hammer the destination file system - reiserfs3 works
well, ext2/ext3 have been hopeless everytime I've tried - mass
corruption. The file system will need a large number of inodes (for
links) if there are an excessive number of files x versions - again
reiserfs3 scores well here.
Highly recommended!
BillK
