source: MondoRescue/branches/2.06/documentation/linuxbackup.sgml@ 323

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<title>Linux Backup</title>
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<para></para>
<informaltable><tgroup cols="3"><tbody>
<row>
<entry>
Mondo Rescue and Mindi Linux HOWTO
</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry>
<ulink url="mindilinux.html">Prev</ulink>
</entry>
<entry>
Chapter 3. Overview
</entry>
<entry>
<ulink url="windowsbackup.html">Next</ulink>
</entry>
</row>
</tbody></tgroup></informaltable>

<sect1 id="LINUXBACKU"><title>3.3. Linux Backup</title>
<para>Mondo Rescue and Mindi Linux are used primarily as Linux
backup and cloning tools. The fall in prices of CD-RW drives and
writable discs will allow current users to keep good backups and
future users to leverage the cloning capability.</para>
<para>Tape drives are more likely to suit your needs if you run a
larger installation (or have lots of MP3's). Warning! OnStream
drives do not play well with Mondo. I do not know why. It is, in my
opinion, something which OnStream should look into. Mondo uses
fopen(), fread(), fwrite() and fclose() to interact with tape
drives. That works for most drives but some drives just don't like
that.</para>
<para>I have tested it thousands of times on my own computer with
my own data and with no alternate backup regime. It worked for me.
Thousands of users testify to Mondo's stability and its ease of
use. However, please test it on your own system before you rely on
it. In fact, do not rely on any software until you have tested it
to see if it performs as expected.</para>
<para>To establish that Mondo will behave well in an emergency,
please be prepared. Run a test backup as follows:-</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>Run mondoarchive without any command-line options.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>Backup a subset of files - e.g. /usr/local - to CD or
tape. Say 'yes' when asked if you want to verify them.</listitem>
<listitem>If you are not backing up to CD, please create boot
floppies when prompted.</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
<para>Next, restore archives to your live filesystem.</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>When mondoarchive terminates, run mondorestore without any
command-line options.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>Insert the CD or the first boot floppy when prompted.
Press &lt;Enter&gt;. Wait a moment.</listitem>
<listitem>Select a subset of files to restore, e.g. /usr/local/man
and /usr/local/bin. Hit OK.</listitem>
<listitem>Restore files to /tmp or /root/RESTORED or something
similar.</listitem>
<listitem>When mondorestore terminates, compare the restored files
to the originals using cmp or diff.</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
<para>Finally, simulate an emergency restore.</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>Boot from CD/floppies.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>Select 'Interactive Mode' at boot-time. (Type
'interactive' and hit &lt;Enter&gt;.)</listitem>
<listitem>Hit OK when shown the mountlist. Say 'yes' when asked if
you accept the mountlist.</listitem>
<listitem>Select files to restore, e.g. /usr/local/man and
/usr/local/bin. Hit OK.</listitem>
<listitem>Restore files to /tmp or /root/RESTORED or something
similar.</listitem>
<listitem>When mondorestore terminates, please reboot and compare
the restored files to the originals.</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
<para>FYI, the subroutines to repartition and reformat your drives
are very stable. If you are a RAID or LVM user, you
might&nbsp;encounter some difficulties when wiping and restoring
from scratch because of the sheer range of filesystem layouts and
the impossibility of testing Mondo on every single one. If you have
trouble, just drop to the command-line and partition/format
manually. Then, call mondorestore, select Interactive Mode, and say
'no' when asked if you want Mondo to partition or format your
drives for you.</para>
<para>You see, even if you have trouble, you still have two hands
and most of the tools you need - lvchange, pvcreate, fdisk, mkraid,
etc. - to do it manually. After you have prepped and formatted your
drives manually (if you have to), just run mondorestore again and
say 'no' when asked if you want to prep or format your drives. What
could be easier?</para>
<para></para>
<para></para>
<informaltable><tgroup cols="3"><tbody>
<row>
<entry>
<ulink url="mindilinux.html">Prev</ulink>
</entry>
<entry>
<ulink url="index.html">Home</ulink>
</entry>
<entry>
<ulink url="windowsbackup.html">Next</ulink>
</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry>
Mindi Linux
</entry>
<entry>
<ulink url="overview.html">Up</ulink>
</entry>
<entry>
Windows Backup
</entry>
</row>
</tbody></tgroup></informaltable>


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