Choosing a graphical backup tool
Preservation
Graphical backup solutions help you protect your data with just a few mouse clicks. We study six popular options.
Many users still perceive the need for regular backups as a chore, but an abundance of graphical backup solutions in the Linux environment means that backup no longer requires complicated command-line input. These individual backup applications focus on different needs and therefore come with different feature sets.
Many (but not all) of these graphical tools are based on Rsync, a command-line program for synchronizing files on different local or remote disks [1]. This article looks at six easy-to-use graphical applications for the Linux desktop. Other articles in this issue examine some other leading backup alternatives.
Back In Time
Back In Time [2] is an Rsync-based backup program that has been under development since 2008. The project's GitHub page says Back In Time is "inspired by FlyBack." (FlyBack is another open source backup tool modeled on Apple's Time Machine.) Both a command-line version and a Qt-based graphical variant are available. The application, written in Python 3, is available in the repositories of all major Linux distributions. Back In Time uses profiles; you can create a profile defining a specific backup scenario, and then conveniently perform the backup at the push of a button.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Ubuntu 25.04 Coming Soon
Ubuntu 25.04 (Plucky Puffin) has been given an April release date with many notable updates.
-
Gnome Developers Consider Dropping RPM Support
In a move that might shock a lot of users, the Gnome development team has proposed the idea of going straight up Flatpak.
-
openSUSE Tumbleweed Ditches AppArmor for SELinux
If you're an openSUSE Tumbleweed user, you can expect a major change to the distribution.
-
Plasma 6.3 Now Available
Plasma desktop v6.3 has a couple of pretty nifty tricks up its sleeve.
-
LibreOffice 25.2 Has Arrived
If you've been hoping for a release that offers more UI customizations, you're in for a treat.
-
TuxCare Has a Big AlmaLinux 9 Announcement in Store
TuxCare announced it has successfully completed a Security Technical Implementation Guide for AlmaLinux OS 9.
-
First Release Candidate for Linux Kernel 6.14 Now Available
Linus Torvalds has officially released the first release candidate for kernel 6.14 and it includes over 500,000 lines of modified code, making for a small release.
-
System76 Refreshes Meerkat Mini PC
If you're looking for a small form factor PC powered by Linux, System76 has exactly what you need in the Meerkat mini PC.
-
Gnome 48 Alpha Ready for Testing
The latest Gnome desktop alpha is now available with plenty of new features and improvements.
-
Wine 10 Includes Plenty to Excite Users
With its latest release, Wine has the usual crop of bug fixes and improvements, along with some exciting new features.