How do I Choose the Best Linux® Backup Software?

The choice of the best Linux backup software should be based on several factors as well as your personal opinion and preferences. One thing that you might want to consider is your knowledge or lack of knowledge when it comes to working on a command line, sometimes referred to as working within a shell or console work. Take into account the medium you will be using for data storage, the specific Linux distribution that you run, reviews written by users of the Linux backup software you are considering and whether you need a program that works well over network connections.

It is highly advisable to take detailed notes as you do your research so that you can refer back to them when keeping in mind the advantages and disadvantages of options while making a decision. If the decision for choosing Linux backup software must be made by more than one individual, the opinions of each person who will work with the program or who will be affected by it should be considered. Another option you might have is to take some time to actually give the program a try before making a final decision. This might or might not be feasible if you really need to go ahead with a plan in a production environment or for a home business.

Some Linux backup software can only be used on the command line or is best used when working within a shell such as the "tar," "dump" and "cpio" programs. If you use the K desktop environment (KDE), you could choose to use the graphical interface for "tar." Users of other desktops environments or of distributions that do not offer KDE would not have this same option. This is why consideration of your particular distribution is very important. Without knowledge of how to work on the command line, you will have to choose from among graphical Linux backup software.

The necessity for data storage for one computer as opposed to many computers on a network should always be carefully considered, because some Linux backup software programs work very well over a network connection while others do not. Those that do work well over networks also tend to offer the ability to configure completely automated backups of every computer on a network, which can save significant amounts of time and generally serves as part of any reliable plan for disaster recovery for Linux. Determine what type of storage media you will use before selecting Linux backup software. Some tools work well with drives but not with tapes, and others work well with drives and tapes.

Consider it worth your time to seek out and carefully read Linux backup software reviews that have been written by people who have had experience with the various tools available. These reviews can point out strengths and weaknesses of the programs that you might not think of on your own and can save you time and money and prevent many hassles. Reviews typically can be found in the community forums on the official website for the distribution you are using or on the websites of some Linux users groups (LUGS), or you can simply perform a search on the Internet to display all of your other options for reviews.