Overview

Gnome already has some features (such as Nautilus Script and Emblems) suitable to be used as part of backup application. Most backup application does not make use of those but instead create its own interface causing an additional learning curve to the application. GnomeEasyBackup aims to explore the possibilities of integrating and using those gnome's features for backup application.

Using Gnome's existing features for Backup Solution

GnomeEasyBackup uses rdiff-backup as back-end. rdiff-backup is a popular backup solution as it is very reliable. Like other backup solution, using rdiff-backup involves specifying files/folders to be included or excluded in the backup as well as the location of the backup repository. Most backup solution provide its own GUI for specifying the repository and those included/excluded as well as the interface for user to revert the changes of the files or recover the deleted files. Many of these can be done using gnome's features as described in the following:

• Use Nautilus emblems to specified included and excluded.
• Use Nautilus script to direct the action like "revert" or "recover" to a folder
• Zenity can be used to further providing GUI such as selecting the version/time of files to revert or the file to recover.

Specifying the backup repository or the scheduling time-period are only needed to be done once or a few times so they can done with configuration file. Others operations such as adding bulk included/excluded or pre/post-backup are more advance so they also can be done with configuration file. A dedicated GUI can be created to modified the configuration file.

Progress

The current (initial) version of GnomeEasyBackup contains a fulling working prototype of the software. I, personally, use it in production environment for months with great reliability (Thanks to rdiff-backup :p).

• All parts that are integrated with Nautilus and Zenity are done.
  • Use Nautilus emblems to specified included and excluded.
  • Use Nautilus script to direct the action like "revert" or "recover" to a folder
  • Zenity can be used to further providing GUI such as selecting the version/time of files to revert or the file to recover.
• The backup repository is specified in the configuration file.
• The scheduling time-period is specified using command line.
• Advance included/excluded and pre/post-backup are specified in the configuration file.

Blueprint

Official Blueprint on launchpad is here.

Roughtly:

• Installation should be made easier.
• Dedicate configuration GUI should be made.
• The problem should be ported to Python or Ruby (it is now PHP) to reduce dependent and to made GUI easier to made.

Screenshorts

Scheduled Backup (this example is for very 10 minutes).

Add emblems to be used in Nautilus.

Applied emblems to specified included/excluded.

Revert a file to the older version.

Recover the deleted file.

Files and Downloads

Souce Code on LaunchPAD is here

The lastest release on LaunchPAD is here

Bug Reports

Bug Reports and tracking on LaunchPAD is here.

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