Backup software that supports DVDs?

[George Adams]

Can someone suggest a backup program that can handle what I'd like to do?

The short version: what cheap (or better yet, free) backup programs can
backup files simply based on the archive bit?

The long version:

I have about 50G of files I'm going to backup onto DVD. They will
become my permanent "master" backup. From then on, I want to do
incremental backups, backing up only new or changed files. (For
changed files, this may result in different versions of the same file
being saved onto DVD, but as long as the backups are in different
directories, it should be fine.)

This sounds easy to me, but thus far I've had a hard time finding a
free backup program that can handle this (haven't started looking at
commercial software yet - hate to spend the money if I don't have to).

Some programs (e.g. SyncBack) will look at a destination drive and
backup any files that are new or different. But this doesn't work for
me, because the DVD I'm backing up today's files to may be empty. That
doesn't mean I want it to backup EVERYTHING, though - I still only want
files that are new or changed (i.e. archive bit on).

So I need a program that will determine what to backup *NOT* by first
looking at the destination drive/directory to see which files are not
"in sync" with my source drive/directory. Instead, I want it just to
backup what it knows is new or changed on the source drive
(irrespective of what's currently on the destination DVD). The only
two ways I know it can do that are:

- looking at the archive bit of each file, or

- keeping a catalog of what's already been backed up in days past, and
determining which files are new and which are changed (either a
different date stamp, file hash, whatever) and therefore now need to be
backed up.

So, what's free or cheap that can do this?

Thanks to anyone who can help!

 

[Arno Wagner]

Can someone suggest a backup program that can handle what I'd like to do?

The short version: what cheap (or better yet, free) backup programs can
backup files simply based on the archive bit?

GNU tar can do this.

The long version:

I have about 50G of files I'm going to backup onto DVD. They will
become my permanent "master" backup. From then on, I want to do
incremental backups, backing up only new or changed files. (For
changed files, this may result in different versions of the same file
being saved onto DVD, but as long as the backups are in different
directories, it should be fine.)

I hope you have a reliable disk/write combination. In general
DVD writable reliability is pathetic.

This sounds easy to me, but thus far I've had a hard time finding a
free backup program that can handle this (haven't started looking at
commercial software yet - hate to spend the money if I don't have to).

As I said, GNU tar can do archive bit. It can also do timestamp based
incremental backup (will keep a local files with a ''last backed up''
table for all files) or commandline input timestamp based
incremental backups.

Some programs (e.g. SyncBack) will look at a destination drive and
backup any files that are new or different. But this doesn't work for
me, because the DVD I'm backing up today's files to may be empty. That
doesn't mean I want it to backup EVERYTHING, though - I still only want
files that are new or changed (i.e. archive bit on).

So I need a program that will determine what to backup *NOT* by first
looking at the destination drive/directory to see which files are not
"in sync" with my source drive/directory. Instead, I want it just to
backup what it knows is new or changed on the source drive
(irrespective of what's currently on the destination DVD). The only
two ways I know it can do that are:

- looking at the archive bit of each file, or

- keeping a catalog of what's already been backed up in days past, and
determining which files are new and which are changed (either a
different date stamp, file hash, whatever) and therefore now need to be
backed up.

So, what's free or cheap that can do this?

See above. The standard backup program for Unix, the ''TApe Archiver''
tar. I think there are usable Windows versions as well, but since I do
all my backups with Linux (for the Windows partiions I have my games
on as well), I would not know. But since your OS does not seem to
include a reasonable backup program, I conclude you are in the MS
world, were even basic functionality such as this is missing.

Arno

 

[George Adams]

As I said, GNU tar can do archive bit. It can also do timestamp based

incremental backup (will keep a local files with a ''last backed up''
table for all files) or commandline input timestamp based
incremental backups.

Arno, thanks for your reply. I'll write a Perl script and use tar if
nothing better comes along, but are you sure tar can handle the Windows
archive bit? I know smbclient has an option to view the archive bit,
but I don't see any tar option for it.

 

[Arno Wagner]

Arno, thanks for your reply. I'll write a Perl script and use tar if
nothing better comes along, but are you sure tar can handle the Windows
archive bit? I know smbclient has an option to view the archive bit,
but I don't see any tar option for it.

Hmm. You are right, it cannot. The reason for that is most likely
that the bit is not present in Unix filesystems. Sorry for answering
too rashly.

Arno

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Hmm. You are right, it cannot. The reason for that is most likely
that the bit is not present in Unix filesystems.

Sorry for answering too rashly.

Story of your life, babblebot. It's in your nature.

 

[Bucky]

The short version: what cheap (or better yet, free) backup programs can
backup files simply based on the archive bit?

are you using Windows? MS Backup uses the archive bit. I know it
definitely comes with Win XP Professional, not sure about other
versions.