Okay, I admit it. I learned how to use rsync by watching YT. Can I ever be forgiven?
The noteworthy thing here is that I started with grsync and found the GUI version to be so confusing I decided it might be less difficult to use the command line version and with that in mind went to YT for help. It turns out I was right. Who would have thought?
There are no shortage of YT videos on rsync from many different content creators. I watched several of them from different channels and then went to the man page. I actually read most of the man page which was even more confusing. Then I went back and reread pertinent options for my use case. The next step was experimenting with unimportant directories on my laptop.
After some trial and error I had the basics of how to back up with rsync. With a little more tweaking I have a tremendously powerful tool that is so quick and easy to use from the command line to backup my data so I never have to explain to my girlfriend why our vacation pictures disappeared when a hard drive failed (yes, that really happened and I don’t ever want to do it again). I’ve been using rsync for years now and it’s great.
So tell me, have I lost all street cred by using YT to get a basic idea? After my shameful confession, is there any hope that I can ever be a real tech bro hipster giga Chad? Do I have to start drinking soy latte tasteless substances without caffeine? Is there any hope of convincing normies and newbies that sometimes an old reliable command line tool is actually easier to use than a GUI if you are willing to put in a little time and effort? Or do we just let “the cloud” take care of everything for us with eyes wide shut?
Off soap box. Sincere wishes that everyone has a good day.
I cut that out of context, because there is so much universal truth in it. CLI for ever! GUI differs from one environment to another, but scripts written decades ago still pretty much work reliably.
We will, though, step by step. Current Unix/Linux systems will be regarded as simple, straightforward, unfashionable and basic. They will inevitably be replaced by something more “refined”. First microprocessor was released 1971, just 54 years ago. Linux came 1991, just 34 years ago. What will the next 50 years bring? Some of us will be around even longer.
Still, there are now and there will be then things like microcontrollers with limited capabilities, there will be some kind of Linux, and rsync will still recognize the same switches, when used. So, a good investment to learn. Method is irrelevant. Skill is everything.
I do most of my work from the command line and I do love it. However, we do have newbies who have never backed up their files, because they think it is hard. If I have to do a tutorial to show them how to do it from Grsync, then so be it.
Skills are great, but if I can prevent a grown man from crying because he lost all of his stuff, that’s even better.
I learn most things from youtube. Of course you you will be forgiven, OM has that kind of community. You should have posted this in the linux is toxic thread, so much fun to be had but i would feel bad about roasting you here. It doesn’t matter how you learn only that you are wiling to learn.
I am honored that anyone feels like I am worth roasting so roast away.
Out of curiosity, I will look into borg backup. I doubt if I would change now because my backup needs are simple and basic and easily met by rsync. I’m sure there is a YT video about borg.
On the Linux Is Toxic thread, it just did not occur to me but any mod is welcome to move my ramblings if they fit better somewhere else.
Someone mention borg backup
Part 1 https://youtu.be/o2qeUzk-dvc
Part 2 https://youtu.be/6G0YIl9BoQs
Thst is a tutorial for online borg backup
It is in Polish. Sorry. But a procedure stays same regardless the language used for explanations
I should make a offline version of this also
@DungeonCrawler Ps What " Shameful Confession: I learned rsync from YT"
You have learned the skill. It does not matter how and from where it was learned.
You know how to do backup. That is all that matters
I use rsync on occasion but not for backup. I use Borg to backup my desktop to a local server in my house and a remote server 500km away in a family members basement. Works great!
However it’s done it’s better that not doing it (learning and backups)!
(i use grsync profiles for media, rsync+alias --exclude… for home and 1/4ly clonezilla for full encrypted cold).
1 untested back up is no back up at all.
Consider recovering a back up before needed.
(After a full clonezilla back up of drive #1 restore it to a 2nd drive, this way i can test the back up and still recover a from working drive if needed).
Of course it depends on how you value your data vs your time (i used to factor storage costs but for most this is not much these days and if your running 16TB ironwolfs you most likely have raid/redundancy anyway).
Everyone is different, in back up strategy and on how they learn.
