Linux Noob! Help with backup server

Bigjas

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Hi all,

Thanks for looking at my question.

I have installed ubuntu desktop 19.10 on a spare machine to start a little server project with. I have been messing around with it the past couple of weeks and starting to learn the basics of terminal etc, but i would consider myself a rookie with linux.

My current goal is to create a server that I can use to backup files from other machines in my home (all windows machines). I have set up my disks and partitions etc and have now come to actually performing the backups and I dont know what method to use. My main objectives:

- I am not too worried about disk images at this point, more concerned with keeping copies of important files like pics, music, work/school docs.
- I would like to be able to do full and incremental backups at scheduled times/days etc.
- Backups to be automated.
- File permissions - I would prefer if the windows users can only access backups for their files.

I have found a lot of information already (a bit too much really) but I am struggling to come to a decision on how to achieve my goals.

I have downloaded urbackup and bacula and removed both as I found they were too complicated for me and they were feature heavy considering my simple goal. I dont want to use FreeNAS etc as I also want to use the machine as a desktop pc.

Please excuse me if this has been asked many times in the past, I have been doing research but I have gone round in circles and not sure how to continue. I am open to all suggestion but ease and simplicity are really the key for me as I am not an expert with servers/backups. (backed up some school work a few times by copying to one drive ;) )

Thanks
Jason
 


I don't know of any backup ability as you describe. I'm not saying there isn't a free Linux utility that will do it, just that I don't know of one.

Usually you need an expensive backup software system installed on all the machines with maybe your Linux server as your master. A common corporate app is called Netbackup. But what you can do to get around this is to setup your Linux server as a file server, with different shares for each of your Windows machines, since you want them to only access their own backups. Use Samba for this. Then on each of the Windows machines mount a "Z" drive pointing to their own share on the server and use Windows backup to back itself up and put the backups on the Linux shares. You can use the scheduler service to setup the time the backups occur so they run every night or whatever you want.
 
I don't know of any backup ability as you describe. I'm not saying there isn't a free Linux utility that will do it, just that I don't know of one.

Usually you need an expensive backup software system installed on all the machines with maybe your Linux server as your master. A common corporate app is called Netbackup. But what you can do to get around this is to setup your Linux server as a file server, with different shares for each of your Windows machines, since you want them to only access their own backups. Use Samba for this. Then on each of the Windows machines mount a "Z" drive pointing to their own share on the server and use Windows backup to back itself up and put the backups on the Linux shares. You can use the scheduler service to setup the time the backups occur so they run every night or whatever you want.
I was thinking of something along this line. Perhaps Samba and rsync and chron.
Maybe install Ubuntu Server edition which will include much of the desired components. A desktop could be installed for a GUI.
Just a thought.
 
Thanks for the replies!

I have looked into this a little bit more and also been suggested by others to use samba and windows backup so I think I will try this route!
 

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