On Sun, Sep 21, 2025 at 7:19 PM Joe Average <[email protected]> wrote:

> bruce wrote:
> ....
> > I'm interested to be able to completely "restore" everything if I need
> > to. This would include OS, apps, as well as data..
>
>
> What I do:
>
> my experiences are I'm better off to install new then to restore the hole
> disk
>
> Advantages:
> - removes old cruft collected via several updates
> - No need to time consuming figure out what links and right are set under
> e.g. /etc/ /usr
> - and since my drive is an SSD I'm able to secure erase it, before a new
> install (should speed up the SSD)
>
> In all configs I edited e.g. under /etc I insert a comment (#
> my_user_name) so I could easily find them via "sudo fgrep -Ri my_user_name
> /etc/"
> All these files are backuped by hand, every time I change same (currently
> ~12 files)
>
> I do weekly and monthly (other disk) backup with rsync via an script.
> Backup media are rotating disk (SSD's are unreliable media for backup)
>
> I use rotating media in external cases with USB3 and XFS filesystems.

I splitted my data:
> a) what usually change /home/<my_user_name>, e.g. mail, docs, browser
> bookmarks, ...
> b) what usually never change under /home/DATA, e.g. Media files, etc.
>         /home/DATA is linked to my /home/<my_user_name>
>
> My backup routine:
>
> I only backup
> - /etc
> - /home (at first without /home/DATA !)
> - /home/DATA (an extra run of rsync and an extra directory on my backup
> media)
> - /root
> - /var/www
> - /var/lib/radicale
> both last cause I'm using radicale (with default store)
>
> so the first rsync run backups "/etc /home /root /var/www
> /var/lib/radicale" with excuded /home/DATA
> and the second rsync run only "/home/DATA"
>
> to get a clean box (with a new relase) or when something was unrepairable
> damaged (not happend here since Fedora 1 !!!) is
> - backup the old box
> - create a list what Apps are installed
> - secure erase the SSD
> - install (new) Linux relase
> - restore /home/DATA
> - restore user files under /home/my_user_name/
> - reinstall the Apps-List
> - under /etc backup new installed default configs and move my by hand
> edited configs back
> - selinux relabel the disk
> - check if all my services (e.g. smb, radicale, ...) are correct running
> - create a new backup target for the first rsync run (e.g.: F42 => F43 to
> keep the F42 backup for some time until all is running correct)
>
> there might be better solution and optimized one ...


I do something very similar, but keep ~/Systems/$HOSTNAME directories with
new or changed files in an etc subdirectory, a list of
installed packages, and notes for problems and solutions.  Before retiring
my work required a bunch of scientific packages.  Linux
distros often replaced libraries with "new improved" libraries, so
constantly having to find the replacement, make and test changes to
software.   I needed to keep everything working for people doing a fresh
install,  Each of my systems has the full ~/Systems/$HOSTNAME
tree as I often need to refer to changes made on other systems (I have
systems in 3 different buildings and often test changes on one,
then later need the same changes on another system).

I use cockpit to check on systems in other buidings and do basic management.

-- 
George N. White III
-- 
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