SuSE Linux 9 - Major issue with Backing Up HD

[ckmetro]

Hi All

I am very sorry but have to apologise for not knowing very much at all about Linux. The company I work for hired a linux person to configure a computer with Linux on it, we are using Spamassisin, and Maiwatch on this machine to filter mail. Anyway the issue is that there is only 1 hard drive in the computer, we had someone come in externally to fix some of the issues, however my big problem is that if the 1 hard drive fails, then really I am up the creek without a paddle. A lot of spam / emaail config has been done particulary in regard to MailScanner, and I do not want to loose all that hard work. Does anyone have any simple (non linux talk) ways of 1st creating a complete backup and then actually getting it off the computer onto another HD or similiar. The person we hired to put together the Linux box can now not be found anywhere ! Typical. I am not and have no experience with Linux.... Can anyone help please !!

[framp]

Typical.

Could you please elaborate on this a bit more

Anyway - I would use nfs to mount a remote disk of another Linux box and create a backup with tar. Another more non Linux way to do this would be to use some backup toll like Acronis or driveimage to save the disk. But this causes an interrupt for the clients ... You also might also use a Windows box and use smbmount to connect a remote Windows disk to get the tar backup.

That's how I backup my disk with tar:

tar -cvzpf BACKUP.tar.gz --atime-preserve /

Do you have a Linux or Win Box to get backups?

[devils casper]

Hi All

I am very sorry but have to apologise for not knowing very much at all about Linux. The company I work for hired a linux person to configure a computer with Linux on it, we are using Spamassisin, and Maiwatch on this machine to filter mail. Anyway the issue is that there is only 1 hard drive in the computer, we had someone come in externally to fix some of the issues, however my big problem is that if the 1 hard drive fails, then really I am up the creek without a paddle. A lot of spam / emaail config has been done particulary in regard to MailScanner, and I do not want to loose all that hard work. Does anyone have any simple (non linux talk) ways of 1st creating a complete backup and then actually getting it off the computer onto another HD or similiar. The person we hired to put together the Linux box can now not be found anywhere ! Typical. I am not and have no experience with Linux.... Can anyone help please !!

create an installable image of Hard Disk with PartImage.





casper

[bryansmith]

*EDIT* Sorry, my solution only seems to work for Windows.

Bryan

[yankeeco]

If your Linux system is up and running, consider the following

.1. Make a directory and for example, call it BACKUP

.2. If for example you use the spreadsheet software to create a document, do NOT save the original work within the software directory, rather save it to another directory of your own choosing, then make an identical directory within the BACKUP directory and also store a copy of that file there, and do this every time you use the software (spread sheet, word processor, whatever). That way you'll have two copies of the same file, both uptodate as well.

.3. It was suggested that you use TAR and experience has shown that using GZIP after that is a very good idea and if you've put copies of all your current files into the BACKUP directory, all you need do is back up BACKUP.

.4. Where do you back up BACKUP? Will a 700 mb CD do the job? If so, just copy the TARed BACKUP to a CD or if needed, spread it out over several of them.

You might note that this suggested system works as well with micro$oft systems however I find working with TAR and GZIP much easier, not that I have anything against PKWARE which I've used for years..

Hope this helps

yankeeco

[ckmetro]

Thank you all very much for your assistance thus far, it is very much appreciated.

I tried to download PartImage, however the link is not working, and therefore I could not download it.

I am happy to create a directory and back it up, however stupid me does not know how to create a directory. :o

I have a usb drive 2 gb that I would like to back it up too, but how do I get the machine to recognise the usb drive, I assume that I have to mount it, but I am not too sure how to do that.

One i have the usb drive there, I am not too sure how to get the file onto the usb drive also

I am a serious newbie to this, I know windows, but I am in uncharted territory with linux particulary when I can not even see anything only putty to use to get to the server ?

Thank you again for all of your assistance thus far, it is appreciated.

[Liisa]

Which operating system are you running?

[ckmetro]

the Operating System is SUSE linux V 9

Hope that helps

[rbarton]

I have the books from SuSE on version 9 or 9.1. I would be glad to mail them too you if you think it would help.

As for your USB drive, I am assuming that it is a pen drive. Unlike other distros, SuSE mounts the device under the /media directory. So from putty you would type:

cd /media

and then use the ls command to see what is under that directory. I believe that under SuSE 9 the pen drive will be listed by the device name sda1. So you would then type

cd sda1 -- to enter the directory.

If you would like those books, send me a message.

Roy

[devils casper]

I tried to download PartImage, however the link is not working, and therefore I could not download it.

that link ( PartImage ) is not broken and working perfectly. PartImage is one of the best way to Backup Hard Disk. BUT, a problem is, you dont even know how to create a directory. using PartImage will be too much problematic for you.






casper