Sabkush Headlines: Two Apps That Make Backup Less Chore, More Lifesaver

Sabkush Headlines: Two Apps That Make Backup Less Chore, More LifesaverTwo Apps That Make Backup Less Chore, More Lifesaver





Backing up data on my multiple Linux computers has always been a gray area for me. The process of backing up data for me boiled down to convenience and cockiness. I thought my no-app backup procedure was a better option. That twisted view nearly resulted in a data disaster for me recently.Having multiple computers all storing the same data tends to make reliance on an actual backup application seem to be a needless redundancy. But a round of system failures put my access to backup data at risk. This led me to search for open source software to ensure that my data was there when I need it. My search yielded two pleasant results. I found an impressive lineup of open source backup apps. After trying out a bunch, Ive placed two key backup tools at the top of my list. Deja Dup Backup Utility and LuckyBackup both are easy to use offer more than the bare-bones features typical of this software category. Both are ideal choices for personal use as well as small-business data archiving. Why the Need? Dealing with data backup is really an exercise in being prepared. In my case, I store my primary data on a large capacity thumb drive. I use this USB device to access and save all my working files as well as my data archives. On my two desktop computers, two laptops and one netbook, I routinely copy the open files to the hard drives as I move from computer to computer using the syncing feature of a file management program. In theory that gives me two copies of all my stuff at all times. Plus I have two external hard drives onto which I periodically perform similar directory-syncing operations. So trusting in the false assumption that my data backups were under control, I did not use a bona-fide backup app regularly. So much for false assumptions. On a recent trip I lost the file-encrypted master USB storage device. That left me with just the hard drives content on the laptop with me. A quick fix involved buying a new USB drive and dragging all the data to it from the hard drive. Backup Apps Still Needed Soon after, however, a series of hardware failures struck that put what I thought to be a foolproof system in question. A relatively new desktop crashed and burned. That necessitated a full data retrieval for its replacement from one of the external hard drives. Soon after that, not one but both laptops had their power cords short out. That obviously caused limited or no access to the data kept as backup on the hard drive. In both cases the batteries hadnt charged as part of the cords malfunction. I just didnt notice the notification icons telling me that the batteries were discharging. As unlikely as this equipment failure scenario may seem, it happened. My carelessness and the distractions of working while traveling caught me off-guard. I learned that even fail-safe data plans need a backup. I did not suffer any permanent critical data loss. But if I did not have data stored on multiple locations, that outcome would have been much more likely. Workable Solutions I almost learned my lesson the hard way. In case lightning strikes with more force, now I am better prepared to ward off data loss woes. Deja Dup is a simple backup tool. It reinforces the right way way of doing backups without being complicated to use. It builds in file encryption, regular off-site storage and includes duplicity as the back end. Using LuckyBackup is a lot like using a CD/DVD burning application. The menu makes it that simple to identify the source directories or files and the target backup location. It is a powerful, fast and reliable backup and sync tool.