[CentOS] Re: Linux backup help

[Marc Schwartz]

Kevin Kempter <kevin at kevinkempterllc.com>
writes:

> Hi All;
>
> I'm awaiting a new linux laptop that will be my primary work machine. I want 
> to implement a strategy that allows me as easily as possible to revert back 
> to a former state. My primary concern is a scenario where I apply system 
> updates and it breaks something that for me is critical.   
>
> I wonder if a simple rsync script would work. If so, here's what I'm thinking:
>
> 1) updates are available so I execute the rsync script which pulls any updated 
> files from my laptop to a backup server/drive
>
> 2) apply updates
>
> 3) if something breaks (even if I can no longer login) I boot the laptop, run 
> the rsync script in the opposite direction (push files from the backup drive 
> to the laptop) 
>
> I assume that if I were to execute step 3 above that my system would be in the 
> exact state that it was before I ran the updates. Is this a correct 
> assumption ?  Are there better approaches ?
>
>
> Thanks in advance..

Look at rsnapshot, which is rsync based and enables hourly, daily,
weekly and monthly rotating backups.

This is what I used on my laptop, to an external USB HD. It provides an
OSX Time Machine like schema, albeit without the fancy GUI.

http://rsnapshot.org/

HTH,

Marc Schwartz