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If there is an application, does it work like "Time Machine" where it save backups of your computer and if wanted, go back to an earlier time on the computer for example where an virus was not there?

Here is an definition of Time Machine that Apple wrote:


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up vote 7 down vote accepted

You could give a try to Back in Time. It is in repository.

In documentation he explains why he do it.

Why did I write the application ? When I read about Apple’s TimeMachine I thought it’s nice tool to have. I searched for equivalent applications for Linux and I find TimeValut and FlyBack.

Since February I'm making backups with it, but never had tried a full or partial restore.

It uses rsync and not the mechanism like inotify used by Time Machine. So it is running every x time and not each time the file is wrote.

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So you recommend Back in Time as a good equivalent to Time Machine? –  jaorizabal Mar 15 '12 at 0:04
I prefer "Back in Time" in favour of "Déjà Dup" because it has more granularity when do the backups and keeping backups. During some time I've it configured to make backups every 10 minutes and it doesn't go very well, mainly because the destination disk was full. Now with backups every hour, I'm only notice is there when I undock the laptop and the usb disc goes away and it warns it doesn't have the destination disc :) Recovering files with GUI is ok, but my full recommendation it will be when I restore my computer from a crash without the application it works well. –  Pipe Mar 16 '12 at 12:12
Thanks I'll give it a try. –  jaorizabal Mar 16 '12 at 13:18
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You could do a full backup of the root folder "/" with Déjà dup, the default backup client of ubuntu. When restoring you can use a live cd to avoid your system entering in a weird state.

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Will backing up the root folder backup files on separate physical drives? Will it mount those drives if it needs to? –  opensourcechris Dec 24 '12 at 13:38
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