0

This is a re-edit, because no one seems to want to answer the actual question.

To simplify: Will a non-root backup save everything? Do I have to log in as root to copy sbin, home, etc to a backup disk?

Thanks for all the answers on logging in as root, but that wasn't the problem.

Zanna
  • 69,223
  • 56
  • 216
  • 327
John Williams
  • 57
  • 5
  • 2
    "but I can't seem to log in as "root" to do this." Use your admin account and `sudo`. Using a "root" on Linux is a small security risk and does not correctly log usage of the person doing something on your system. With `sudo` all account actions are registered to your admin account, – Rinzwind Mar 22 '18 at 15:05
  • 3
    See https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BackupYourSystem – Panther Mar 22 '18 at 15:06
  • Thanks, but, again, it doesn't address the problem: Can I back up everything useful just as an ordinary user? Do I have to log in as admin or root? – John Williams Mar 22 '18 at 20:18
  • What do you mean by "everything"? What do you mean by "backup"? – Organic Marble Mar 22 '18 at 20:34
  • 2
    1. A **complete backup can be achieved by cloning the whole drive**. You do that with [Clonezilla](http://clonezilla.org), booted from a CD disk or USB pendrive, and either create a cloned copy on a third drive of at least the same size as the original one, or better: create a Clonezilla image, which is a directory containing several files where the big ones are compressed; 2. You can run [backup systems](https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BackupYourSystem), that **backup all your personal files more or less automatically** with or without root permissions (like suggested by @Panther). – sudodus Mar 22 '18 at 20:51
  • @sudodus Make that a proper answer instead of a comment – Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy Mar 23 '18 at 00:27
  • @SergiyKolodyazhnyy, Done :-) – sudodus Mar 23 '18 at 07:06

1 Answers1

1

Complete backup - cloning the whole drive

  • A complete backup can be achieved by cloning the whole drive. You do that with Clonezilla, booted from a CD disk or USB pendrive.

    • either create a cloned copy on a third drive of at least the same size as the original one,

  • or better: create a Clonezilla image, which is a directory containing several files where the big ones are compressed.

Backup all your personal files

  • You can run backup systems, that backup all your personal files more or less automatically with or without root permissions (like suggested by @Panther). See this link,

    help.ubuntu.com/community/BackupYourSystem

It is possible to

  • configure the backup system to backup the directories and files, that you think are most important to backup,

  • you can select incremental backup

  • you can select compression or no compression

  • you can configure when (and how often) you want to run your backup system.

depending on the backup tool that you select.

sudodus
  • 45,126
  • 5
  • 87
  • 151