How to Backup the Entire Ubuntu System
Backing up data is essential to any computer regardless of operating system. Without a backup present, data is vulnerable to drive failure and corruption. There are many methods of backup in Ubuntu, but the most comprehensive is drive imaging. Drive imaging creates an archive of the entire Ubuntu system partition byte for byte. A drive imaging backup is performed using programs included in the Ubuntu operating system.
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Instructions
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Click on the "System" menu on the Ubuntu desktop. Click the "Administration" menu and then on "Synaptic Package Manager." Enter your password to continue.
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Click on the "Reload" button at the top left of the synaptic package manager to update the repository. Allow the repository to update. Click on the "Quick Search" box at the top of synaptic package manager. Type "sbackup" in the search box and allow the list to populate in the right window pane. Double-click on "sbackup" in the right pane to mark it for installation. Install any additional required software and allow the installation to complete.
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Click on the "System" menu on the Ubuntu desktop. Click "Administration" and click on "Simple Backup Config." Enter your password when prompted. Click on "Use recommended backup settings" on the simple backup config welcome screen, and then click "Save."
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Click "Backup Now!" and allow the backup to complete. This may take five minutes to several hours depending on the size of the backup.
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Tips & Warnings
By default, simple backup suite saves backups to the "/var/backup" directory. This can be changed in the "Destination" tab in the "Simple Backup Config" utility.
Drive imaging backups work at a low level and if used improperly may result in severe data loss. You should be especially careful when using a command line program such as "dd."
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- Photo Credit hard drive interior image by Curtis Sorrentino from Fotolia.com
