How to keep a clean System with Full Installation?

[_MegadetH_]

Hi! I searched before opening this thread, but I haven't found a topic like this.
I've a full hd installation. I'd like to keep my system clean. Is there a way to make some backup point to restore in case of problem? Are there other methods to keep system clean, after installing and unistalling apps?

[Béèm]

My first reaction was: Don't use the system, but that's not what you want to hear.

Having a full install on HDD, I explored (never did before) two utilities, Pbackup and Pudd

Pbackup
I couldn't select / to copy the whole file systel.
I then tried a single directory. I selected an other HDD as output device, but the backup didn't work. I got a msg no suitable file found. Well yes, true this was my first backup. Didn't find how to make an initial (first) backup.

Pudd
The drive/partition has to be unmounted to do this operation.
As the system to be backed up is mounted, this command should be done from another booted system, like a liveCD.

Hope someone can give some advice.

[Bruce B]

The principle directories to backup are /etc and /root

Suppose we call the script below mybakup, use it like this:

cd /
mybakup root etc (plus any other directories you want to tarball)

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
for i in "$@"
do
	tar -cvzf $i.tar.gz $i
done

[Béèm]

When I look in installed packages and see the xxxx.files for the packages I see they all go to /usr/...........
Shouldn't that one be 'backed-up' also to have a valid restore point?

[Sage]

Never managed to get success with Pudd, yet.
2 -3 hrs of both HD s screaming hardly inspires confidence.
Better to use a dedicated utility like Clonezilla. Probably, System Rescue does it - it seems to do everything - haven't had the occasion to try it so far.
If Pudd is taking up significant space, this would be an excellent piece of cr*p to delete.

[Ray MK]

Hi

This is probably not the ideal way of keeping a backup,
but it works.

I've got 10 puppies on the laptop. I like to play and get to know
about the many options available.

2 are full installs to hda1 and hda2 - 1 is for daily use, the other
just as backup.

Any files that need keeping are stored on a 3rd
partition and are accessed via Pmount, mut or hotpup.

The other 8 pups are frugal installs to hda1 and are copied as backups to yet another partition and also to a usb hdd. As are
bookmarks, boot/grub, manuals and other items of use.

Therefore if I do something silly and manage to scramble the Pup
I'm working with - not a major problem, wipe the damaged pup and
then just copy backup files and then I'm back to where I was.
(minus the bits I scrambled)

Not perfect but it's easy and I can understand it.

However I'm sure others can suggest alternative methods that
are more appropriate.

Hope that helps - best regards - Ray

[Béèm]

Never managed to get success with Pudd, yet.
2 -3 hrs of both HD s screaming hardly inspires confidence.
Better to use a dedicated utility like Clonezilla. Probably, System Rescue does it - it seems to do everything - haven't had the occasion to try it so far.
If Pudd is taking up significant space, this would be an excellent piece of cr*p to delete.

I have been more successful with the cli dd command indeed.

[Bruce B]

When I look in installed packages and see the xxxx.files for the packages I see they all go to /usr/...........
Shouldn't that one be 'backed-up' also to have a valid restore point?

I don't even know if we answered the question.

The question is about keeping the system clean.

The answers are about back ups.

On a full install, many directories never change. Not changing, they don't get dirty.

If /boot, /bin, /lib, /slib don't change, then they don't get dirty. /usr doesn't change in a way of getting dirty. It can grow by adding apps, but usually doesn't get dirty, in a way that one wants to clean things up.

/etc is the system configuration directory, things can get corrupt, files added by hardware changes and such. /root holds the user configuration files and user files. In any event, these directories do change.

/temp can get dirty, but not in a way you want to restore it, just throw out the dirt

/var is a place to peruse for accumulated dirt.

I suppose the answer depends on the interpretation of the question. In this case the question is probably a Windows based question. The idea being that there is similar periodic maintenance necessary for Linux also.

Keep it clean: Defrag, fixup the System Registry, SpyWare checks, Virus removal. Linux users don't do that stuff.

So rather than leave the question unanswered, we'll just tell him how to make backups. The backups of course, back up the dirt also, but that doesn't matter because there never was much dirt, this is not Windows.

Then if he has a problem, he has a dirty backup, which is fine, because it's not Windows. It is not as if the backup restores all the spyware and viruses and a bad registry.

Back to square one: How do I keep my system CLEAN?

Anyone? Please, don't ignore my question, just because I'm part of the woodwork.

[_MegadetH_]

Thank you all for replies!
As Bruce B said, my question is a windows question, because I used to be a Windows user, and we know how a windows installation could be dirty with passing time.
I explain better my question: I wanted to know how to make a backup point to restore if things goes bad with system as it happens in windows.

The main question I want to know is how can I keep clean system?
I'm worried about dirtying system installing and removing apps, so I'm not installing them right now. I only installed a game from petget manager that doesnt work well. I'd like to try wine and some win games to see if they run good.
So before installing and removing apps I wanted to be sure how to do in a clean way. So installing and removing apps there isnt the risk of bad registry connections, missing files, bad registry changes or uncompleted unistallings?

[Béèm]

So before installing and removing apps I wanted to be sure how to do in a clean way. So installing and removing apps there isn't the risk of bad registry connections, missing files, bad registry changes or uncompleted uninstalling?

Completely forget Windows and how it works. This is unrelated to linux.

There is no such thing as registry.

Try to install new programs with are pet's.
The install routine makes note of the files. (technically this is in /root/.packages)
When, through the puppy package manager you want to uninstall, select it and the package will be uninstalled.
The uninstall ends wit the advice to reboot the PC in order to remove any trace of the package, so do this and your system is clean.

[_MegadetH_]

@ Béèm
Ok, I will try to install from petget, but It was strange to see there isnt big choice of apps (expecially games).

[Béèm]

Maybe I wasn't clear enough.
You may download any pet package the way you want and install it.
In this way with the puppy package manager it can be cleanly uninstalled.

Only when you install a package in an unconventional way, like simply copying code, the puppy package manager will not have the information to uninstall cleanly. You have then to find out yourself how to do it.

There is a new tool in development.
It's called petch.
You start it from the command line (rxvt terminal) giving the name of the package you are looking for and petch will search the repository to see if it's there. It will present a list and you can choose to download and install. Very handy.
See here.

[_MegadetH_]

Thanks Béèm,
I didn't know I could install pets that aren't in pet manager list. That's a good news! this forum is great I will check petch too!

[Béèm]

Success. Successo.

[moron]

well thers a beem of success

[Béèm]

Not beem, Béèm.

[moron]

is that pronounced bayem, as in berenard?

[moron]

how do ya get accents on ere?

is it frenchie or belgique?

[Béèm]

It is pronounced Bee~em
The accentuated characters are on my Belgian keyboard.

[moron]

aint got one o dem

Béèm

ha! cutnpaste

hi kewl Béèm

luv yur chocolat