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Hi.

Couldn't fine a solution for an application to backup and restore installed apps, thus decided to post and idea here.

The problem.

Even with linux there is a need to do the clean install time to time - major upgrades/SW changes, mitigation of security issues, etc. It is quite easy to keep local user's files - separate home partition does the job quite well. But in order to restore the desktop (apps, themes, system settings) there is no simple way to accomplish this task.

The idea

An app with:

1. CLI and GUI
2. Possibility to choose what to backup - system settings, appearance (themes, icons, etc), list of installed apps (I don't think that it should backup binaries), specific files/directories, SW sources
3. Store the backup (option for compression and encryption) locally, removable/network attached media or cloud (ownCloud, nextCloud, DropBox, Google Drive, etc.)
4. Possibility to choose what to restore - the source (local, removable, network-attached or cloud) and content (sys. setting, appearance, apps, files, etc)
5. Utilize the packet management system of the "host distro" (apt/dpkg, rpm, yum, etc) for application installation during backup/restore

I'd pay for such FOSS app. Would you ? Would you pay ? Would you create it utilizing KDE/Qt bits and pieces?

Regards
ArtūrasB.

I see a lot of issues with this suggestion...

Typically software is installed into a Linux system using a central software management system. At least if a clean installation is done. This approach differs from the concept of "apps".

Doesn't it make more sense to use the power of the already existing software management system for the task at hand? They all allow to dump a list of installed packages. Which is exactly what you are looking for, since you can then feed that list back into the management system for installation after such a clean cut.

arkascha wrote:I see a lot of issues with this suggestion...

Typically software is installed into a Linux system using a central software management system. At least if a clean installation is done. This approach differs from the concept of "apps".

Doesn't it make more sense to use the power of the already existing software management system for the task at hand? They all allow to dump a list of installed packages. Which is exactly what you are looking for, since you can then feed that list back into the management system for installation after such a clean cut.

Because you need this for smooth PC migration. Imagine doing this dozen times a week. I didn't specifically said I need completely new app. It could be an "umbrella app", which utilizes available functionality but making it smooth - for newbie and professional. Life is short to waste it on such a boring task. My idea was to automate it.

arturasb wrote:Because you need this for smooth PC migration. Imagine doing this dozen times a week. ... My idea was to automate it.

For such a scenario you should create a tailored installation image once, publish it via network and then all that is left to do is stat an installation process from that. That is what professional administrators do "en masse". That is a proven and working practice.

arkascha wrote:

arturasb wrote:Because you need this for smooth PC migration. Imagine doing this dozen times a week. ... My idea was to automate it.

For such a scenario you should create a tailored installation image once, publish it via network and then all that is left to do is stat an installation process from that. That is what professional administrators do "en masse". That is a proven and working practice.

That's fine if you do fresh installs. Imagine that you migrate user's PC/Laptops with different, individual set of installed applications - standard image won't work. Basically you want to restore user's PC onto new HW - files and configs are easily restored from filesystem backup (/home/user), but restoring applications is much involving task.

Opening the Muon package manager, I see in the File menu the items: Save Installed Package List and Download Packages From List which should do exactly what you want: save off a list of currently installed packages on the first machine and then download and install/update the packages in the list on the second machine.

Note, this is using Muon 2.2.0 on KDE 4. I know Muon's received quite a few changes in the newer versions, but I'd assume that functionality is still there. If not, you should be able to turn to your distro's package tools to accomplish the same thing.

If the systems are all Ubuntu systems, there happens to be http://www.teejeetech.in/p/aptik.html, which handles the full backup and restore and can be used to sync two systems.

airdrik wrote:Opening the Muon package manager, I see in the File menu the items: Save Installed Package List and Download Packages From List which should do exactly what you want: save off a list of currently installed packages on the first machine and then download and install/update the packages in the list on the second machine.

Note, this is using Muon 2.2.0 on KDE 4. I know Muon's received quite a few changes in the newer versions, but I'd assume that functionality is still there. If not, you should be able to turn to your distro's package tools to accomplish the same thing.

If the systems are all Ubuntu systems, there happens to be http://www.teejeetech.in/p/aptik.html, which handles the full backup and restore and can be used to sync two systems.

Thank you, I didn't noticed that because I use apt from CLI mainly. I'll test that with next clean install.