56. About Backing Up and Restoring Files

When the concept of backing up and restoring data is discussed, we typically think of a single GUI program or command-line utility that allows us to back up files to some sort of compressed format and then, if disaster strikes, restore them to a computer. System administrators deal with fairly sophisticated hardware and software to back up files and can often be heard discussing such things as incremental and full backups. But I'm basically looking at the backup of important files in terms of the things that you create on the computer: your letters, databases, and spreadsheets.

NLD provides both a System Backup and a Restore System utility. You can back up important system files (it can be done automatically without you even choosing) and then, if there is a problem, you can use the Restore System utility. This type of backup protects program and system files. Both these utilities must be run by root because you can't open YaST without the root password.

NLD provides administrative utilities to back up the system.

But system software can be reinstalled if there is a major catastrophe. Program files can be reinstalled as well. You might lose some configuration files, but your job isn't really to protect the system but to use NLD as a productivity tool.

As a user, you generate important documents and store important information on your computer related to contacts, your schedule, and a host of other things. It is important that things you can't afford to lose are "backed up" using some sort of system.

The Linux environment offers a number of command-line tools that can be used to make elegant backups of your data, including pax, tar, dd, dump, and others. But why not combine features that you already understand such as creating archives and then placing them on a removable USB drive or on a network drive, or burning them to a CD. This combines your abilities with File Roller and removable media drives and provides an easy-to-use system to back up your work.

Tip

pax and dump are just two of a number of command-line backup and restore utilities. Both pax and dump are available as Red Carpet Available Software for installation. You can view other backup utilities by searching for backup in the Red Carpet window. We discuss Red Carpet and installing files in Chapter 7, "Adding and Managing Software Applications and Tools in NLD."