Backup/Restore of installed packets

[ML]

A possibility for Backup/Restore of installed Packets would be very helpful.

Currently you have to remember your choosen Packets and hope you find the sources if you restore your backup . It would be fine if there were a solution for this.

[Naël (nathanael-naeri)]

Not really Déjà Dup's job, or that of any file backup software for that matter.

The Synaptic package manager can do that through File > Save Markings > Save full state, which means that apt-get can do it too from the command line. This will save a list of all installed packages that you can backup, and feed Synaptic/apt-get on reinstall/upgrade. Beware that some packages change names across releases though, or stop being available.

Personally I just write down a small list of the packages that I use and aren't installed by default, instead of saving the list of all installed packages.

As for your package sources, they're in /etc/apt/sources.list and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/*.list (first file for the official Ubuntu repositories that you can also setup through System Settings > Software and Updates, other files for the PPAs that you add through sudo add-apt-repository). You should backup these files if you're not sure you can rebuild them after reinstallation/upgrading, although that is usually easy to do.

Unless you meant something else in your question, like reverting to previous versions of packages?

[ML (0cs935kb517wwmwa7m9428daadkye-m9u2-wz6bkyhu4uqpfausw0ege9b0y33eg)]

Hi Nathanaël,

of course, its possible. But for "normal" user its to complicated. They need an easy-to-use solution.
If you image you know nothing about computer and only wants that everything works, then its to complicated. There should be an initial selection of some folders (home, opt, etc...) and an option for including existing packets/lists.

Its essential that backups are easygoing and working correctly, Its part of the philosophy!

[Naël (nathanael-naeri)]

I see.

Wouldn't it be a feature for the Software Center then? Since it is I believe what non-technologically-savvy users use to install and remove software (instead of Synaptic or apt-get).

Déjà Dup, as a duplicity backend, backs up and restores files, not information that is not stored in files, such as which packages have been installed and when. If it were to back up that information, then when restoring at date d to a previous date d-delta, it would be expected to roll back the system to that date d-delta, uninstalling any packages installed in the meantime. That is clearly out of the scope of a simple file backup software, requires root privileges, and affects all users on the system, not just the current user.

What you're asking for implies to make Déjà Dup a backend of apt-get in addition to duplicity, so that it can manipulate packages. It's too much for a simple tool. But there might be advanced backup software that can backup and restore the system's state (installed packages) in addition to files. Actually, I would be surprised if such software didn't exist. But it is certainly aimed at administrators, not non-tech users.

On the other hand if the Software Center (say) exports or maintains a file containing the list of installed packages, Déjà-Dup can certainly backup that file, which could even perhaps be included by default.

> There should be an initial selection of some folders (home, opt, etc...)
$HOME is included by default and $DOWNLOAD, $TRASH are excluded by default. This backs up the user's data and settings.

[ML (0cs935kb517wwmwa7m9428daadkye-m9u2-wz6bkyhu4uqpfausw0ege9b0y33eg)]

In 14.04 I didn't found a Option for Backup/Restore of Packages, but maybe it was possible over UbuntuOne (which is closed)?

If I think as an "happy-to-start-my-Ubuntu-User" I would search such a possibility in the default Backup-Tool deja-dup. But, from side of deja-dup you are right. Unfortunately this will not help the user. The finest would be a solution for save the packages, the second finest is maybe a small hint/information to the user before creating the first Backup.

> There should be an initial selection of some folders (home, opt, etc...)
>>$HOME is included by default and $DOWNLOAD, $TRASH are excluded by default. This backs up the user's data and settings.

Correct. What's with unfree Software which stores Information in opt? Non-standard?