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  Sitback is only available as source tar-ball, but do not worry, it uses Gnu automake/autoconf, so it is easy to install and use sitback..

Sitback is currently pre-release, it seems stable, and backup operation should not change anymore, but dont forget that sitback is currently under development...

There is still some code-duplication, some bad or inefficient coding, and paranoid checks. This will eventually be removed/optimized, but not before there is a stable version. Then I also know what may be removed and what should stay there....

You might want to have a look at the changelog before you continue..



Installation goes like this...

  • Get the latest stable version
    Or be bold and brave, get the latest developer version.
  • Unpack it somewhere. (tar xvfz sitback-x.x.x.tar.gz)
  • cd into the sitback-x.x.x directory
  • ./configure
  • make
  • make install
(I like to have my extra applications in /opt,    './configure --prefix=/opt/sitback'    does the trick)


After you have compiled sitback, create the directory's <basedir>etc/sitback, f.ex. '/usr/local/etc/sitback'. This is where you put the configuration scripts.

A script contains at a minimum a single line with a location to backup, but normally you would also specify wether to use compression or not, and if you want the archive verified.

For use as a backup-daemon you should also specify one ore more times to run.

Finally you should also include a line telling wich device to use or what to call the archive..

One of the places I use sitback, i use it to run automated backups of the two main directory's with all our data...
  • /usr/smbdata contains all application and data files
  • /usr/grafik contains graphic files

The script that I use to control the backup looks like this...

  ARCHIVE=/dev/st0
TARGET=/usr/smbdata
TARGET=/usr/grafik
COMPRESSION=YES
VERIFY=YES
REPORTFILE=/usr/smbdata/latest_backup.txt
REPORTPRINTER=//penguin4/Canon
SMBUSER=computer1
SMBPASSWD=123abc        Nah, you dont get the real password
VOLUMENAME=Full backup - Taastrup
TIME=1;02;00
TIME=2;02;00
TIME=3;02;00
TIME=4;02;00
TIME=5;02;00
TIME=6;02;00

Most of the items is fairly self explanatory (but else, try something new.. Read the documentation).

TIME=1;02;00 may seem a bit strange, but it simply say's...

  Run the backup weekday 1 (that is monday) at 02:00.

This is because they work sundays, wich is also why there is no backup at weekday 0 (wich is sunday). Sunday morning at 02:00 would simply repeat the satterday morning backup (work from friday).



The example script above contains almost all available script-keywords, so it is actual that simple to get a backup running.



What is left to be done, is to start sitback along with other daemons..

The sources contains a directory <basedir>/etc/sitback/rc.d where you will find a SysV style init script.. I usually make a symlink to it only from rc3.d.

If you dont use SysV initialization (f.ex. Suse linux), simply put this line somewhere in your init script...

  /usr/local/bin/sitback -d data.

data is the name of the above script and the -d switch makes sitback start as a daemon...



The logfile contains important messages from sitback (as if you did not know that..!). It is called <basedir>/var/sitback.log.



It is usually a good idea to start sitback as root, you might experience problems getting access to devices, the log and the scripts if you run sitback as a normal user..





By the way.. Thanks to the people from the GNU project and the Linux kernel (Linus and others), and also to the brave folks behind Kdevelop, the best IDE available.
 
bean@daisy.net 03/26/2k    -    Hosted by Daisy Net A/S