[STICKY] Image backups of your Zorin/data

Just thought I'd share this ..as it works for me...

For backups I use Redo. It images the entire installation (or selected partitions if desired) and can restore the system to the exact state of the backup. Admittedly, I'm a bit of a fiddler and like to tinkle around with my Zorin setup. This sometimes gets me into trouble. With Redo..I don't have to worry..just restore to previous backed up state. I use v1.04 but I think there are later releases. Just:

1. Download Redo iso and burn to DVD.
2. Boot DVD.. choose Source/Destination and use a descriptive backup name.

Takes about 10 mins for me (Samsang 850 Pro SSD on an I7 system but sometimes a 500GB HD or netbook)..but would depend on your system speed and how much data you have to backup.

This is my recommendation as well. I've learned the hard way that if you don't backup your entire drive and you do something that bricks your OS, you will wish you backed it up. I also use Redo, and I have the same drive as you and mine is the 512GB model. I make entire drive backup images though, as its the only way to be sure. The time it takes to backup and restore depends on how much data is on the drive. Generally, it takes just over 4 hours to backup my entire drive onto an external 7200 RPM mechanical drive over USB 3.0. Restoring takes a little less time around 142 minutes. I personally like Redo because its simplistic in design, and the GUI makes it easy to use.

As a free backup utility I have always recommended Redo; however a different forum member found that they couldn't break it down to partitions, only an image of the entire OS so would be curious to learn how you do that. The best paid for version is Acronis which is also based on GNU/Linux but they don't state that - how do I know? Well if you install Acronis, then browse the Windows Registry you will see it associates with a key that wasn't there before - 'Cygwin' - this is an app to run GNU/Linux software inside of Windows!

Interesting. I actually own the full Acronis True Image 2014 which includes of course image backup and drive clone and all that good stuff. I however, like you, noticed that the software wasn't compatible with Linux. However, I more recently learned that if you have a Acronis computer boot disk, as I do because I created it with Windows awhile back, I can boot my computer up and use Acronis imaging and clone tools supposedly on Linux partitions. I however have not tested this. And truth is, it was easy enough to install Redo onto a CD to boot, backup, and restore. I will let you be the first one to see if Acronis boot disk can work with Linux partitions there Swarf.

I've already done it with two distros - Ultimate Edition 2.9 and Sabayon 4.4 never got round to trying a restore though!

The ultimate test is in the restore. I really like Redo cause its didn't screw me over and actually restored my backup image. I would assume that Acronis is just as good in that regard since its paid software. But I gotta be honest with you, sometimes free software works better then paid software. Which is why I think Microsoft needs to keep their hands away from Linux and let Linux stay free and open source.

Is Redo still at version 1.04 ?? That's what I have. I didn't seek out any upgrades because I didn't know if a restore would work on a different version backup. Often it doesn't recognise my external HD ..until I cancel it..choose its reboot option..then its recognized. Another thing I've discovered to (confirmed on Redo's website). It will only restore to a partition of the same size or smaller. Logical I guess.

I have version 1.0.4 as well, it works great! You are correct, even Acronis is that way, you can only restore a cloned image to a same size, or larger size drive. So for example, say you want to upgrade your old notebook 5400 RPM mechanic drive to a modern solid state drive? Well, this was exactly what I did, my notebook had a 450GB mechanical drive, I made a cloned image of the drive. Then I installed a new 512GB SSD drive with something like 486GB or 496GB available. And I restored the cloned image stored on my external drive, to my SSD drive!

I remember Acronis True Image 2014 having a really cool option however. Say you wanna make a cloned image of a 450GB mechanical drive. But you know that you can't afford a whopping 512GB SSD or larger drive due to costs, the 512GB drive from Samsung costs me 200 bucks afterall. So you buy a smaller 128GB SSD, what do you do? Well Acronis will let you downsize and consolidate exactly what you really need, without all the extra fluff. So say you had IDK 200-300 GIGS of data on your 450GB drive, well using Acronis you could consolidate that down to bellow 128GB, which will allow you to create a smaller cloned image, that would be restorable onto a 128GB SSD.

Cool and interesting stuff, love this topic

Socretes wrote:Is Redo still at version 1.04 ?? That's what I have. I didn't seek out any upgrades because I didn't know if a restore would work on a different version backup. Often it doesn't recognise my external HD ..until I cancel it..choose its reboot option..then its recognized. Another thing I've discovered to (confirmed on Redo's website). It will only restore to a partition of the same size or smaller. Logical I guess.

The project is "dead" as such - nothing happened since 2012/4?

Swarfendor437 wrote: As a free backup utility I have always recommended Redo; however a different forum member found that they couldn't break it down to partitions, only an image of the entire OS so would be curious to learn how you do that. The best paid for version is Acronis which is also based on GNU/Linux but they don't state that - how do I know? Well if you install Acronis, then browse the Windows Registry you will see it associates with a key that wasn't there before - 'Cygwin' - this is an app to run GNU/Linux software inside of Windows!

-- I haven't tried backing up individual partitions myself..but when you choose the 'Source' .. the second screen shows the partitions defaulting to all being ticked. I would assume you be able just to 'tick' the partitions you want to backup??

They didn't have such luck I'm afraid - I think it is all or nothing.

Where do you recommend downloading redo.iso from? I would like to use it as an alternative to backups, which does not seem to do a full job - see below.

When I tried downloading redo from redobackup.org, I got (in downloads) a file "localMedia.bundle-master" with two red crosses on it (empty - 0 items), which I can't remove - how can I get rid of it, please?

Previously, when I tried doing a restore using what backups had put onto my backup drive from my Zorin9 O/S laptop, I guess I did not save an ISO of the full system. When I had finished the restore, the download section was empty and many of the shortcuts on my desktop did not work - until I had re-downloaded each application and recreated the desktop shortcut (I think these were programmes where I had downloaded .deb files or used synaptic package manager rather than use the ubuntu software centre). Is there a way of saving an ISO of my machine using backups, please? - if there is, I can't see it.

There is a hyperlink on the redobackup.org website which should take you to here:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/redoba ... t/download

To get rid of the red cross items you will need to be 'root' - open a terminal and enter:

Code:

gksudo nautilus

enter yoiur password, then open your 'Computer/File System' to browse to the files you can't get rid of.

Keep us posted!

Hey! - that was quick, Swarf - thanks again.

Any ideas about getting backups to play ball?

Can you be more specific on the last question?

Sorry.

What I meant was: is it possible for backups to be set to record and then restore everything on the drive - an .iso of the drive (as I understand it)?

It seems to me that backups requires you to reinstall the O/S (which I did) and it restores content and perhaps progammes from the Ubuntu Software Centre (again from my experience).

I really want something that backs up everything and can restore everything - it seems as though this is what redo does.

Thanks again F.P.

Yes, that is what it does - someone on here said that they were perturbed they could not backup individual partitions, it is all or nothing basically - which to me is what you need anyway. Back in the days of Zorin 4 there was a graphical iso maker that backed up to DVD (bear in mind it was a minimal install to a 30 Gb Drive, and it restored it - last time I looked (forgot the name) it was command line only so redo is your best bet (IMHO).

If you need evidence:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8879&p=42905&hilit=+redo#p42924

I just used Clonezilla for the first time. Once you get past the lack of an interface (it's all text), it's very easy. I made images of three GNU/Linux systems. Very fast and powerful. You can image whole disc or just partitions. Haven't yet tried restoring yet, but it has great rep.