Does anyone have a suggestion for what is the best and easiest to use backup program for Ubuntu 10.10? I have an external hard drive and I'd like a program that can be used either manually or on a scheduled basis. I know there are several programs out there but I'd like to know which program(s) people have found most useful. Thanks in advance!

rsync has to be up there.

I liked rsnapshot based on rsync.

+1 for rsync
If you want the GUI:grsync

Kind regards

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BackupYourSystem

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ba...pleBackupSuite

Which program gives the greater versatility in terms of ability to back up full disk, specific files, auto backup, etc.? And for someone still new to Linux (Ubuntu) is it easier to use a GUI program or one that operates directly from the terminal? It's sounds like grsync may be easiest, but is it as flexible as some of the other options? I've also heard of one called "deja-dup"--anyone know about it?

Hmm...Looking at both rsync and grsync I'm wondering which is easier to use? Is the front end really an advantage or is it simpler just to work through the terminal?

Back in Time is a graphical frontend for rsync.

Sourcetrunk gave it a good review.

Personally, I can't really see what's too difficult about using the terminal (whether for rsync or otherwise).

There's nothing difficult about using the terminal providing you know how to use script effectively. I can use it when the exact text is furnished and I can just cut and paste. If you're serious about using Linux and becoming more comfortable with it, do you think it's advisable to use the terminal commands when possible rather than relying on
front-end apps? I realize this is somewhat of a judgment call, but my impression is the real advantages of Linux come from relying less on front-end solutions and more on terminal script. Basically here I'm just trying to get a program for backing up my hard drive. Is it possible, through a terminal application, to set something up that will automatically back up your drive on a periodic basis?

It's probably a good idea to learn how to use the terminal, yes. It can be very powerful and efficient.

Cron is designed for doing such tasks.

Okay...so if I use rsync in the terminal, a) what command line do I use to make the initial backup, and b) what command do I use to make subsequent backups covering material included since the time of the previous backup? I'm using a laptop here so I won't have the external drive attached all the time. Can subsequent backups be handled manually or is it preferable to have a scheduled backup where I would know to attach the external drive at that time? (Of course the problem with that is I could forget to attach the external drive--nothing is perfect, I realize!)

For a) and b), read the man page. It's quite detailed and gives some useful examples. For b) specifically, you won't need to use a different set of options. You can do it either way. There's no problem with, say, scheduling a backup (via cron) and then performing a manual one in between the scheduled ones. rsync will essentially detect any changes in files and copy only those that have been modified.

When I was figuring out rsync, I found the man pages and online docs to really quite dense for someone new to it. What most of them omitted was a few good examples, with explanations, for beginners.

Here's the command that I finally settled on that works for me to backup the entire contents of my home folder to my file server:

I use duplicty/duply for my server.