How good is Déjà Dup?

[wolfv6]

I am shopping for an online backup.

Seems like Déjà Dup with Amazon S3 might be good backup system.
Are you happy with Déjà Dup?
How easy is it to restore an old version of a file?


I only need to backup 1.5 GB of data, and the first 5GB at Amazon S3 are free.
I searched the ubuntu forms for "Deja Dup" in the title, and found 14 threads in the past 6 months.
Is that because it's popular or because it has a lot of problems?

I am using Gnome desktop.

Thank you.

[mikodo]

I hope you get your answers.

Maybe I'll do the same.

At most I would want to backup there, would be less than a GB.

[Welly Wu]

It's not very good in my opinion. The problem with Deja-Dup is that it is very hard to restore individual files from separate folders. The other major problem is that larger data backups get corrupted over time with no ability to fix this problem. I strongly recommend using CrashPlan. The free version is more features rich with the capability to backup and restore individual folders and files as well as the ability to backup to another destination like an external hard disk drive or a NAS drive plus the capability to backup to another CrashPlan user's PC remotely. Most of the other GNU/Linux backup programs have a set of features intended for a specific target audience and Deja Dup aims to simplify or dumb down this process as much as possible. I have stopped using it altogether and I pay for CrashPlan+ Family Plan so that I can backup to CrashPlan Central which is one of their data centers located worldwide. The important thing to note is not necessarily data backup, but data restoration has to be perfect especially when you need to recover lost data. CrashPlan is virtually bulletproof when it comes to data restoration. It is well tested and proven.

[wolfv6]

The problem with Deja-Dup is that it is very hard to restore individual files from separate folders.

That's a deal killer for me. Thanks for the heads up Welly Wu.

I am now considering memopal. Here is what others have said about memopal:

3GB free, version history, proprietary
http://www.memopal.com/online-storage/

Imediate real-time automatic backups
Web version allows you to search for specific files to restore
Client version you select the Restore button and then double click through a list of folders
No option to create your own encryption key
http://cpureport.com/memopal-review/

Italian based
American users may experience some slight slow down of their backup process
http://www.cloudwedge.com/online-bac...emopal-review/

Everyone seems to love CrashPlan.
memopal is not as perfect as CrashPlan, but for 1.5 GB, memopal is $60/yr less than CrashPlan.

[Welly Wu]

You and I have no idea what kind of data or capacities we will need in the next several years. The reason why I don't like data plans is because I'm limited in terms of the aggregate data pool and bandwidth and this is compounded by the fact that not everybody in this world has access to an Internet service provider that has an unlimited data plan for home residential consumers. There is a good reason why a lot of people recommend CrashPlan. If you take a look at your current data and its' storage size and you choose an online backup company that has a plan that meets your current needs, then there will be growing pains. What if you decide to purchase another newer PC or if you inherit an older PC that you would like to use? What if you choose to grow your data and storage needs?

The real expense is switching. Just like switching PCs and desktop or mobile operating systems can be expensive in terms of time and money, so too is switching from one online backup company to another one. Remember, this is an investment of your private user data to be held temporarily by another company far away from your home or office. If you don't take these simple considerations into account, then you will wind up spending more of your time and money in the long run.

CrashPlan is here to stay for the foreseeable future. I'm not trying to sell you to this company, but I have probably thought this out more carefully than you have and I have certainly done my homework. There is a risk with going with a company that is not an industry leader when it comes to online backup. If the company folds, then your data goes with it. I can't tell you how many online backup and synchronization companies have come and gone in the past five years alone. Canonical, the creators of Ubuntu, used to have their Ubuntu One cloud synchronization service and it went belly up along with their customers' private data as just one example in the past five years.

Let me make a suggestion: take a closer look into CrashPlan+. Try the free version to test the waters. Send me a private message if you need help installing or configuring it. Once you realize the features that can be unlocked as a paying customer and you see its' benefits, then that should convince you to give it more serious consideration.

This is your private user data. You get to choose with whom to do business, but remember that it's still your data that you're trying to backup to a remote server somewhere in this world.

[wolfv6]

Hi Welly Wu.
You make some good points.

I don't consider memopad a permanent solution.
If memopal goes out of business I would have to learn another backup service, or migrate entirely to cloud applications.
The only reason I have a PC is to write software and CAD. Once those are hosted in the cloud I won't need a backup service.

[Welly Wu]

Listen, you don't really want to upload your private user data to some company somewhere in the world if it is not going to be a long term commitment. Avoid this scenario if possible in the first place. I think that you need to do more research into online backup versus cloud synchronization service providers.

You may want to research SpiderOak: https://www.spideroak.com. They give you almost everything. They are a bit pricey, but you get absolute privacy.

[wolfv6]

Hi Welly Wu,
Nothing on my PC needs to be hidden. My PC contains no sensitive financial information or sensitive identity like social security number. I am not a political activist. My software and CAD projects are open source.

My sensitive data is encrypted on a Web application (like LastPass for example) and is not on my PC.

In a few years I will have no PC to backup. I will have a thick client (like Chrome OS for example). I am just waiting for on-line CAD and on-line software development tools to mature.

I understand the difference between online backup and cloud synchronization service providers. memopad is an online backup service.

[Welly Wu]

Google Chrome OS is not a thick client. It is a very thin client.

Have you considered building your own cloud data backup solution? You could purchase a network attached storage product and download and install Own Cloud to host your own files. It will be more expensive upfront, but you will be able to save on long term costs and you have physical control of your data. There are commercial solutions available like Western Digital's My Cloud Personal Cloud or Seagate Central, but they are designed for Microsoft Windows or Apple Macintosh OS X. You may want to consider simply copying and pasting your personal user files to a NAS drive as well.

It may be more expensive for you to purchase an online cloud backup subscription if you have less than 2.0 GB of data. A free solution that you may want to consider is SpiderOak since they will give you up to 5.0 GB of cloud storage capacity for free of charge. If you refer several friends and they sign up for SpiderOak, then you can earn more free cloud storage capacity up to a certain limit. This will involve no financial costs to you. The one thing that you must remember about SpiderOak is that it relies on 100.00% zero knowledge privacy. You must make sure that you remember your user ID and master password. There are no password reset features available. Two-factor authentication is in beta test phase and it is not officially supported so do not log into your SpiderOak account on the website to enable this specific feature yet or you could get locked out of your account permanently. As long as you redeem an electronic coupon at the time when you register your free SpiderOak account, you should be able to have up to 5 - 6 GB of free cloud storage capacity for the lifetime of your account. If you can keep your personal data storage needs within that limit, then this is the best solution for you and you get the benefits of SpiderOak which integrates cloud data backup, synchronization, and secure file sharing services combined along with their zero knowledge privacy. Perhaps you should investigate this company in detail. It seems to be the right fit for you.

[wolfv6]

The SpiderOak free 2 GB plan is only a 60 trial. https://spideroak.com/about/price-list
Please correct me if I am wrong.

I want my backups off site, so I will not build my own cloud data backup.