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sysres has obtained its original goal. It now has all the features and a .deb installer, plus an icon and menu entry.
For the code, see https://launchpad.net/sysres
For the .deb, you can get 1.0 here: https://launchpad.net/sysres/trunk/1.0
The future holds uncertainity, and we hope to enhance it without any feature creep.
While working on a slightly similar project I came to the conclusion that a very robust and simple way to do that consists of taking a snapshot of everything in certain places and just offering to restore each item as it was just after installing. This would encompass places like /etc, home, and so on.
This is based on the observation that it is easier to detect 'places' (directories) which hold things worth restoring than to enumerate which things you would actually need.
My goal is to have a simple windows with options to backup local settings, grub settings, video settings and perhaps others. It is simple to make, but I am looking for specific files or settings to backup.Quote:
Originally Posted by popch
I want it to work on working systems, and be able to have more than one restore point to roll back to. This is rather simple, of course.
I'll stick to the settings I listed until I get it working. (Just started it, and it is 0546, and I haven't slept yet, so it is still an infant idea). I have it creating restore points for GNOME at the moment. Just need to be able to restore from them. (A reverse of the creating the restore point)
Looking at individual things worth saving and restoring, those come to mind:
LAN and most especially WLAN settings
Desktop effect settings
Access settings for the SAMBA client
User account data
Bookmarks
Cookies
Mail account settings
ISP related settings for accessing the internet
Once you start thinking along those lines you can hardly stop any more, I fear. Where do you draw the line between 'settings' and 'data'?
I am making a system restore program, not a backup program.Quote:
Originally Posted by popch
I am sticking with settings for the system, not applications (except GNOME). Tarring up the home directory is not my goal (simpler, but not my goal).
I think I am going to stick with what I listed and perhaps the network settings. Thanks for the suggestions.
I do not quite understand the objectives, then. Just out of curiosity: Where do the settings come from which you intend to restore? The original out-of-the-box settings?Quote:
Originally Posted by LaRoza
Windows System Restore is the basis for this.Quote:
Originally Posted by popch
The settings are whatever the user decides save.
One could to the original settings, but this could be used to snapshot the system when it is working.
Basically, when one adds new hardware (such as a video card) and then reconfigures xorg (sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg) they should make a backup, or when editing fstab, etc. This does everything in one step.
It is meant to abstract the configuration. It is for those used to Windows (if I get it working)
The motivations for this:
* Boredom. I haven't slept at all this night (the sun will be rising in an hour or two) and have nothing to do
* Practice. Need to program something
* Mildly useful. I see system restore posts on occasion like http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=418309
* Why not? I have nothing else to do. (Except writing my book, which I am in no hurry to finish)
Ah, now I understand.
Good luck, then, and have fun.
Douglas Adams used to take baths for hours when he was in no particular hurry to finish his books. Writing computer programs in that kind of situation is definitely a new one for me. Good luck, there too.
Douglas Adams, one of my favourite writers :)Quote:
Originally Posted by popch
I have no publishing company (fortunately or unfortunately) with deadlines for me.
I always code to relax. The book's subject is a bit depressing, to write at least, so I don't want to immerse myself in it.
LaRoza
Sounds like (yet another) worthwhile effort. Keep up the good work!
Steve