Xubuntu needs a gui backup utility --- deja-dup or somesuch

[Chris Rainey]

Please consider adding a dependency for deja-dup(Installed-Size: 3028) to the Xubuntu meta package in order to provide a gui-based backup tool for new users(and old ones) to have available by default.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 17.10
Package: xubuntu-desktop 2.218
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.13.0-32.35-generic 4.13.13
Uname: Linux 4.13.0-32-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.7-0ubuntu3.7
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: XFCE
Date: Mon Jan 29 10:31:53 2018
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationDate: Installed on 2018-01-22 (6 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 17.10 "Artful Aardvark" - Release amd64 (20180105)
SourcePackage: xubuntu-meta
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Theo Linkspfeifer (lastonestanding)]

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Xubuntu/Roadmap/Specifications/Utopic/Deja-Dup

That old wiki page seems relevant. However, I could not find the reason why such a utility was not added.

[Chris Rainey (ckrzen)]

Ok. I've added deja-dup to my Xubuntu 18.04 installs and I can confirm that it integrates well and works. Seems to me like it would be a safe addition to the Xubuntu desktop recommends.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Stephen Michael Kellat (skellat)]

As a rule of thumb, Long Term Support releases are not normally times for making significant changes to the seed. Based upon a quick look at the task sets in aptitude we see that Ubuntu, Ubuntu Kylin, and Ubuntu MATE carry deja-dup in their seeds while none of the other flavors do. To consider adding this to the Xubuntu seed we need to consider it against the Xubuntu Strategy Document's criteria. See: https://docs.xubuntu.org/contributors/xsd.html

I'll specifically turn to seed composition as seen here: https://docs.xubuntu.org/contributors/xsd.html#xsd-seeds-composition

* The package should use the GTK toolkit

GTK 3

* The package should not pull in heavy libraries, especially if they will run and/or start frequently

There are no reverse dependencies found. This will drag in "duplicity" compared to what we pretty much already have installed in a base install. Installation of deja-dup adds roughly 5 megabytes of installed software to my current 20.04 work-a-day testing installation.

* The package should be well maintained upstream

It appears so.

The current version installs and shows up in the menu under the GNOME-ish generic title of "Backups". There are UI quirks that seem nonsensical such as an on-off toggle in the menu bar that does not seem to do anything. In terms of look and feel it does not integrate well with the rest of the system.

Since this wasn't tried in any interim release prior to the focal cycle I would weigh in against making the change now and delaying for the G cycle unless something other than deja-dup is considered.