[NBLUG/talk] Moving permissions

Dustin Mollo dustin at sonic.net
Tue Jan 20 13:24:00 PST 2004


i'd tweak the definition of "data" in this case to basically include
*anything* that has changed from the way the OS installation left it.  this
would include things like the password and group files, just about any
config that's heavily tweaked in /etc (or where ever it may live) so much
that you can't easily remember the changes or make them again, etc.

i'd add to that last statement and say that just because you remember
*today* what changes you made to a particular config file, doesn't mean
you'll remember when you're trying to recover a server with 30 people
breathing down your neck wondering when they can get to their data agin.

i tend to make copies of entire directory trees, even though i may not have
tweaked every file i'll end up backing using this method.  for example,
backing up *all* of /etc may be overkill, but the way i look at it, is i've
got a complete snapshot of the way things looked and i don't have to worry
about adding a new file to my list of things in /etc to backup - if i forget
to edit my list and my machine dies, i'm hosed.  the general rule that
applies here is that your backups should contain an exclude list, instead of
an include list if there are things you don't want to backup for whatever
reason.

-dustin

On Tue, Jan 20, 2004 at 12:54:11PM -0800, Todd Cary wrote:
> Dustin -
> 
> As mark said, "Data is priceless".  Now, being new to Linux (and just 
> getting started with Mark's course), I would classify the home directory 
> as data.  I have my Webroot as part of home as well as all of my users 
> (mainly FTP users).  My other data is confined to MySQL and Interbase 
> tables (support for my developmental Web sites).  These are pretty 
> straight forward and I have backups made from the DBMS's.
> 
> Is getting close?
> 
> Todd
> 
> Dustin Mollo wrote:
> 
> >On Tue, Jan 20, 2004 at 11:27:41AM -0800, Todd Cary wrote:
> > 
> >
> >>Dustin -
> >>
> >>Another way to put it is "what would one have to put on a backup DVD so 
> >>that the home directory could be copied back if the system were to 
> >>crash, requiring a new installation of Linux.
> >>   
> >>
> >
> >oh!
> >
> >that's easy...assuming your backups include the /etc/passwd and /etc/group
> >files.  just make sure whatever tool you're using to make the copy of the
> >/home tree preserves permissions and ownership - recreating the users is a
> >simple matter of restoring /etc/passwd and /etc/group.
> >
> >-dustin
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> >
> >
> > 
> >
> 
> -- 
> 
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