A Guide to System Backup and Restore in Ubuntu

Ubuntu Linux

This guest article was written by Vivek Kumar from TNerd.com, a blog focused on technology news, tricks and tips and Linux tutorials.
It’s a good idea to ensure that you have a backup and restore system in place. Today we’ll see how in a few very easy steps you can setup system backup and restore in Ubuntu. The good part is that there’s no rocket science involved.
In order to achieve this we are going to need software called SBackup. This is not installed by default in Ubuntu and hence we need to install it. First, let’s see a little bit about this wonderful software.
Homepage: http://sbackup.wiki.sourceforge.net/
Description: SBackup is a simple backup solution for Linux. It is generally developed with a Gnome desktop in mind, but will also work in other desktop environments and also on the console.
Features of SBackup

Back up using GUI and hence avoid the terminal.
Restore using the GUI in simple steps.
You can easily setup automatic backup.
Custom choose the files to backup.
Exclude and include files using regular expressions.
Backup files depending on size and extension.
You can also use terminal to backup and restore.

Limitations of SBackup
As of now you can only backup data to local or remote machine. Backing up to DVD or CD is not available as of now. However, it’s not difficult to burn a backup to disk yourself manually.
Install SBackup
Install SBackup from the package sbackup (click the link to install), or by running the command below in your terminal:

sudo apt-get install sbackup

Launching SBackup
In order to launch SBackup go to System->Administration->Simple Backup Config.
Configuring and setting up backups using SBackup
Once you launch SBackup it’ll open a configuration window for you to configure backup and restore.

If you notice, there are three options available for setting up the backup and they are self explanatory. I’d suggest Use recommended backup settings for most users.
However, you can also select Use Custom backup Settings and setup your backups based on various criteria like file size, file extension, etc. You can also add and remove folders from the ones which you want to backup and the ones you don’t. All this can be achieved by navigating to the Include and Exclude tabs and changing settings as per your requirements.
You can also change the destination where SBackup will backup your stuff. This can be achieved by going to Destination tab.

By default SBackup backs up your files to your local machine in /var/backup. You can custom choose the location and backup stuff to another machine using FTP or SSH.
Once you have selected the mode of backup, all you have to do is click Backup Now!. You should see a confirmation dialog.
Scheduling Backup
Scheduling backup is as easy as it can get. Just go to the Time tab and setup when you want to backup.

Purging old backups to avoid replication and excessive disk usage can also be setup using the Purge Tab. As I said, in most cases the Use recommended backup settings option is the best.
Restoring the data using SBackup
You can easily restore data from your backup using SBackup restore. You can do a directory-wide restore or just restore the files. To restore the data you’ll have to start the SBackup restore manager, go to System->Administration->Simple Backup restore.

Click on Available backups.
Choose the backup from which you want to restore files or directories.
Select the specific file or directory.
Click Restore.

You’ll be prompted if you are sure, click Yes and your files/directories will be restored.
I hope this guide will make backing up and restoring on Ubuntu a cake walk.
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[via tombuntu.com]

—
20 July 2009, 22:13
Sean

thanks for the tutorial on Ubuntu backups and restore. It seems like so many companies are trying to enter the market of backup appliances, that its beginning to be flooded. In the past, I personally have used the free software from the manufacturer Lacie, which is nicely automated, although doesn't have the same restore interface as Ubuntu. This system looks great (and simple!) hopefully more people can avoid learning "the hard way" to backup, and begin doing it when they buy their computer!

d_belles

17 August 2010, 20:09
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Thanks for such a useful article here. System backup is a very important thing if you are working with computer. In many cases people just don't think about it till the problem comes. And when it comes - there is a lot of sweat out there. Just make a backup and be calm. This tutorial perfectly shows how to do that. Thanks!
Regards, Glen from web development

Glen77

18 October 2010, 16:26
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Nicely presented information in this post, I prefer to read this kind of stuff. The quality of content is fine and the conclusion is good. Thanks for the post.

andrewjpeterson

30 May 2011, 11:42
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Thanks for the nice tutorial.Backup is one of the first important thing u need to know when working on pc. rent villas

suedallin

27 November 2010, 15:51
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There is no doubt that you have to have a backup before you do anything. The backup process is so important for any computer. I am so glad that you are stressing this. beginner violins

inter4522

29 November 2010, 20:04
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Thanks for this, with the ever increasing popularity of Ubuntu this couldn’t come at a better time. It’s nice to see that Sbackup is fairly simple to use as many Ubuntu users are first-time computer owners.

Regards,
John
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JohnBroadbent

16 December 2010, 02:20
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I feel like this is one of the best forums related to IT.
But more specifically i would say great for Ubuntu(Linux)
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pucit

16 December 2010, 09:46
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Thanks for this easy to follow guide - I was just told that I needed to complete a backup before the Christmas holidays and I didn't know where to start. This has helped me enormously. Many thanks - tumble dryers

tone52

24 December 2010, 13:17
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You are so right about this. This definitely not rocket science. The software is so amazing to use. We use it at work with great success. It definitely saves us a lot of time. NY Divorce attorney

jim45jim

26 December 2010, 05:21
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Great tutorial thank you. I've been having one problem though. Can't seem to install SBackup on my computer. I know it's simple enough and it does seem to work at first, but then during the installation process it freezes and keeps just looping around forever. Anyone else experienced this? Thanks.
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renzojones

31 December 2010, 17:50
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The comment has been deleted

Cool! I was looking for an automated backup to help my local school administrator with their library computers. Thanks to a grant from the local chamber of commerce they were able to get some really nice reconditioned Acers but the local comptroller is a real stickler for licensing so instead of spending a lot of cash on an OS they chose to go with Ubuntu. They are very happy.
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JohnBroadbent

10 January 2011, 06:12
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People have to understand that doing a backup is so crucial for anything you do. You make some great points with this. Ubuntu is so good to use. I use it at work all the time. a1 poster printing

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14 January 2011, 17:45
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The comment has been deleted

Ubuntu Linux is gaining traction in IT circles for its ease of use. Rumors are that Microsoft is worried by the momentum that it has gained. Some people have had horrible experiences with the OS in the past. The question is this: Is Ubuntu really usable, and if so, which version should I use? thalasso pas cher

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25 January 2011, 07:27
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28 January 2011, 07:27
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I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment here! keep up the good work.
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I didnot think how easy to work in unix.I learnt a lot from your article.
Thank you for sharing
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29 January 2011, 03:43
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The comment has been deleted

The Linux cd cannot restore windows. You will have to use the windows cd to do a repair install and then use the ubuntu cd to install ubuntu. Hope it will be easy for you if you read the entire article. Thanks.
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07 February 2011, 05:52
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12 February 2011, 01:13
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The comment has been deleted

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26 February 2011, 05:57
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Michele098

04 March 2011, 01:39
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05 March 2011, 18:50
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I recently discovered Backup software and I found it very useful. Backup is an important process which you must know while working on personal computer. It is necessary for any computer.
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TomSmith

07 March 2011, 10:38
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The comment has been deleted

Did I miss something? His tar command uses -j, which is the switch for bzip2 compression, but he retains the .tgz extension. Shouldn't the extension be .tbz2 or .tar.bz2? I know that the tar program doesn't care what extension you use when you create a file, but nautilus or konqueror might bitch about it if you try to navigate a misnamed compressed file from the gui.edit:Dugg anyway for providing a simple backup setup.

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superwork

11 March 2011, 10:53
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Nice guide! I wouldn’t recommend the “recommended backup settings” though. Why? If the backup data is placed to /var/backup, the data will be lost in the case of hard disk failure – which is perhaps the number one reason to back up data in the first place. Or have I missed something?

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16 March 2011, 12:22
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