[wplug-plan] BackInTime Presentation

[Bryan J Smith]

Justin Smith wrote:
> Linux is an incredibly versatile family of operating systems but suffers
> from deficiencies for certain use cases. File backup is one of them.
> Sure, for a more advanced user, it's easy enough to set up an ownCloud
> instance or piece together a scripted set of rsync runs, but what about
> the for the average user who wants something that "just works?" ...

Bryan J Smith <b.j.smith at ieee.org> wrote:
> ... Apple has its MacOS X-centric (or only) focus ...
> ... Then there are the "blackbox" solutions, like Apple's hardware
> all-in-one ...
> ... I understand that people who deal with a lot of non-Linux,
> Apple, Microsoft and/or partner "included" tools think Linux
> doesn't have much.

So, in re-reading my prior, maybe I can make my point better by
offering an alternative synopsis.  E.g.,


"Linux is an incredibly versatile family of operating systems.  But
one of the first things a new user to Linux might be overwhelming in
attempting to locate, is a backup/restore solution.  This is because
both MacOS X and Windows come with an 'official' backup/restore
solution that most users just know and default to.  Virtually all
Linux distributions have a plethora of installable software options.
And let's face it, the software application is only half of the
equation too.

Putting Windows aside, the Apple 'software' solution is the
'TimeMachine' application, which Apple also complements with it's
'TimeCapsule' all-in-one network solution hardware.  While Linux
offers numerous options in software applications to do the same thing,
to virtually any Network Attached Storage (NAS), it can, again, be
daunting for new users to evaluate all of them, let alone know what
hardware "just works" for Linux.

In this presentation, I will introduce 'BackInTime', which uses the
common rsync algorithm/toolset that most of the industry, even
non-Linux, uses.  Versus other rsync GUI solutions, such as the
classic grsync and tools like luckyBackup, 'BackInTime' is more of a
straight-forward, 'TimeMachine' like solution.  And like most rsync
based software solutions, it can work with just about any NAS hardware
solution on the market, even low-power products you can build
yourself.

Hence I propose a presentation that includes three separate topics of
interest: an introduction to the Raspberry Pi 3, an overview of SSH &
rsync, and a tutorial for setting up SSH on a Raspberry Pi 3 (or other
spare Linux box) as a BackInTime server.  Since I'm now living in
Ohio, it would probably have to be a remote presentation. If that
would be a problem, I can see about coming home for the weekend to
give my talk."


That is far more direct, factual, leaves less to differences in
experience, etc...

Your message suggests, and even says directly in some cases, that
Linux doesn't address the use case of file backup, and only experts
really know.

My message says Linux gives a lot of options, instead of just a
default/official solution, including a piece of branded hardware.
That's a huge difference, and I strongly feel your original wording
was poor, and goes to part of the FUD in the industry.

My that's just my individual opinion.  I'll leave my responses with
this "alternative synopsis," and let everyone decide.  The last thing
I want to do is inhibit a contributor/volunteer, but we must be very,
very careful with wording or some people -- even if just a small
subset -- could take it as inflammatory.


-- 
Bryan J Smith - http://www.linkedin.com/in/bjsmith