On Thu, Apr 14, 2022 at 3:24 AM David Christensen <dpchr...@holgerdanske.com> wrote:
> On 4/13/22 20:03, Default User wrote: > > On Wed, Apr 13, 2022 at 4:42 PM David Christensen wrote: > > >> As you find system administration commands that work, put them into > >> scripts: > >> > >> #!/bin/sh > >> sudo rsync -aAXHxvv --delete --info=progress2,stats2,name2 > >> /media/default/MSD1/ /media/default/MSD2/ > >> > >> > >> Use a version control system for system administration. Create a > >> project for every machine. Check in system configuration files, > >> scripts, partition table backups, encryption header backups, RAID header > >> backups, etc.. Maintain a plain text log file with notes of what you > >> did (e.g. console sessions), when, and why. > >> > >> > >> Put your OS on a small, fast device (e.g. SSD) and put your data on an > >> array of large devices (e.g. ZFS pool with one or more HDD mirrors). > >> Backup both as before. Additionally, take images of your OS device. > > > Yikes! > > > > David, I really think I am too old to learn all of that. But maybe I can > > learn at least some of it, over time. Please understand that I am not > > training to be a real system administrator, except that I guess anyone is > > (or should be able to be) actually the "system administrator" of their > own > > computer(s). > > > > Anyway, thanks for the advice. > > > I learned the above tools because they save time, save effort, and > provide features I want. > > > I use dd(1) and an external HDD for images. You will want to write > scripts (like the simple example I previously showed). > > > CVS has more than enough power for a single user/ system administrator, > and is simpler than Git. Here are the common use-cases: > > 1. Install CVS (and SSH) on Debian: > > # apt-get install cvs openssh-client openssh-server > > 2. Create a CVS repository: > > # mkdir -p /var/local/cvs/dpchrist > # cvs -d /var/local/cvs/dpchrist init > # chown -R dpchrist:dpchrist /var/local/cvs/dpchrist > > 3. Add CVS client environment variables to your shell (adjust host and > username as required): > > export > CVSROOT=dpchr...@cvs.tracy.holgerdanske.com:/var/local/cvs/dpchrist > export CVS_RSH=ssh > > 4. Create a project: > > $ mkdir -p import/myproject > $ cd import/myproject > $ touch .exists > $ cvs import myproject dpchrist start > > 5. Check-out a working directory of a project from the repository: > > $ cd > $ cvs co myproject > > 6. Add a file to the project working directory meta-data: > > $ cd myproject > $ vi myfile > $ cvs add myfile > > 7. See changes in the working directory compared to the repository: > > $ cvs diff > > 8. Bring in changes made elsewhere and checked-in to the repository: > > $ cvs update > > 9. Check-in working directory to the repository: > > $ cvs ci > > 10. Remove a file from the project: > > $ rm myfile > $ cvs rm myfile > > > See the GNU CVS manual for more information: > > > https://www.gnu.org/software/trans-coord/manual/cvs/html_node/index.html > > > ZFS is a new way of doing storage with disks, arrays, volumes, > filesystems, etc., including backup/ restore (snapshots and > replication). The learning curve is non-trivial. The Lucas book gave > me enough confidence to go for it: > > https://mwl.io/nonfiction/os#fmzfs > > > David > > Hey David, thanks for the information. BTW, I think I have narrowed the previous restore problem down to what I believe is a "buggy" early UEFI implementation on my computer (circa 2014). Irrelevant now; I have re-installed with BIOS (not UEFI) booting and MBR (not GPT) partitioning. And have successfully tested restoring using both Timeshift and Conezilla. And regarding learning by experience - oh, how I know. I've done so much of that, I have a degree from the "school of hard knocks"! Finally, fun fact: Many years ago, at a local Linux user group meeting, Sun Microsystems put on a demonstration of their ZFS filesystem. To prove how robust it was, they pulled the power cord out of the wall socket on a running desktop computer. Then they plugged the cord back in and re-booted, with no problems! Yes, I was impressed.
