[lug] Automated USB Drive Backup

[Bear Giles]

Sean Reifschneider wrote:
> On Thu, Oct 25, 2007 at 09:59:19PM -0700, karl horlen wrote:
>   
>> pretty straightforward. However, I'd like to be able
>> to automate the process so that the script fires when
>> the drive is plugged in.
>>     
>
> That's a really cool idea.  Until you need to recover something from the
> backup drive and plug it into your machine and realize it's just made the
> backup drive match the host.  Make sure your backup script takes that into
> account...
>   

The other problem is that automated backups are almost always local.  
They're good for recovering an accidently deleted file, but worthless in 
case of fire, flood or insurrection.  There's a lot to be said for a 
manual process where you take your (encrypted?) backup to your office 
weekly.

Of course, we actually have to -do- backups for this to be an issue.  sigh.

Related note: here's a deep question for you -- what actually needs to 
be backed up?  Probably nothing (or nearly nothing) under /bin, /usr or 
/lib since your distribution is a better recovery source.  Only modified 
files in /etc.  Nothing in /var/cache, probably nothing in /var/log.

It would be easy to say "all of /home", but how much of that is static 
or easily regenerated?  You don't need your mp3 files in every backup.

I've been wondering if it's reasonable to say that everything you -need- 
to back up can fit onto a single CD or DVD.  It would require more 
recovery work than a USB drive, but it's far easier to maintain multiple 
copies that go back months.
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