A problem which you may occasionally encounter is the unexpected loss of some of your work and settings for one reason or another. The causes of such data loss are many and varied; it could be anything from a power cut to accidentally deleting a file. It is highly recommended that you make regular back-up copies of your important files so that, if you do encounter a problem, you will not have lost those files.
It is wise to store back-up copies of files separately from your computer; that is, you should make use of some form of file storage which is not permanently attached to your computer. Options include:
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Writable CDs and DVDs
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External hard disks and flash memory devices
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Another computer on the network
A simple way of backing-up your files is to manually copy them to a safe location (see above) by using the File Browser.
Alternatively, you can use a dedicated back-up application, such as Simple Backup Suite.
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Install the sbackup package from the “Universe” repository.
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To make a backup, press → → and enter your administrator password when prompted.
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Under General tab, choose backup mode which you would like to use. If you are not sure what you should backup, select Use recommended backup settings. This will perform daily incremental and weekly full backup of all user and system files to
/var/backupdefault directory, excluding multimedia and temporary files as well as files larger than 100 MB. -
Press to save your settings.
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If you want to backup your files immediately, then press ; otherwise, click button to leave the scheduled backup.
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Your backup will launch in the background and you will see pop-up window with information about process id. Click . The backup process may takes a while, depend on amount of copied files.
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Your backup will be placed as directory into
/var/backup. You must be an administrator to access your backup.
![[Note]](../../libs/admon/note.png)
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The Simple Backup Suite does not provide an option to write backup files directly to CDs or DVDs. You have to write backup manualy using for example a Brasero Disc Burning software ( → → ). Alternatively you can customize Simple Backup Config to backup your files into another place (eg. remote server or external drives). See community help wiki for details how to use Simple Backup Suite software. |
To restore a backup made with Simple Backup Config, press → → and select restore source folder and available backups from drop-down menu. Choose the files and folders you want to restore, click on the button and confirm your choice. If you want to restore in a different location you need to select the option.
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By default, restored files and directories are owned by root. This is because Simple Backup Suite runs with root priveleges. You need to change these file or folder permissions using File Browser. |
Some general advice on how to keep good back-ups is given below:
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Back-up on a regular basis
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Always test your back-ups after you make them, to ensure that they have been made correctly
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Label your back-ups clearly, and keep them in a safe place
