Patch-based backup for free

Ulysses_ · 11-14-2009, 05:03 PM

I have just discovered this software that makes extremely compact backups based on byte-by-byte comparisons, rather than directory comparisons.

http://www.sharewareconnection.com/patchbreeze.htm

"Data backup, in the form of cumulative updates, making the backup copies tens or even hundreds times smaller size than before!"

Unfortunately it is not free. What's the linux package that does the same job for free?

MS3FGX · 11-15-2009, 06:14 PM

Unless I am misunderstanding the page, this sounds like a regular version control system. There are many open source version control systems, such as CVS, git, Mercurial, etc.

Anything custom you wanted to do once those patches were being recorded and stored, like backups of only specific patches, could easily be scripted.

Ulysses_ · 11-17-2009, 06:15 AM

Thanks. Will I be able to search within the archive made with any of these?

Ulysses_ · 11-19-2009, 08:34 AM

I have many backups made by simply copying the folders to an external drive, and would like to join them.

As it is, I can search for text within all folders and find a backup that contained that text.

Can I do the same with rdiff-backup, or even with version control systems?

Or rdiff-backup would force me to fully restore one backup at a time, and keep repeating until a search inside the restored backup finds the text?