Back In Time is a simple backup system for GNOME desktop inspired from “flyback project” and “TimeVault”. The backup is done by taking snapshots of a specified set of directories.

All you have to do is configure:

• Where to save snapshot
• What directories to backup
• When backup should be done (manual, every hour, every day, every week, every month)

Table Of Contents

1. Screenshots
2. Documentation
   1. Getting Started
   2. Main Window
   3. Settings Dialog
   4. Snapshots Dialog
   5. Integration with Nautilus
   6. Reviews
3. FAQ
4. Change Log
5. Download

Screenshots

Main Window	Settings Dialog	Snapshots Dialog	Snapshots Dialog (2)

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Documentation

Why did I write the application ? When I read about Apple’s TimeMachine I thought it’s nice tool to have. I searched for equivalent applications for Linux and I find TimeValut and FlyBack. I didn’t feel very comfortable with TimeVault, especialy with it’s timeline. FlyBack was almost what I was looking for: I wanted a Places/Bookmarks column and I wanted snapshots only when something changed (just to reduce the number of snapshots).

Keep in mind that Back In Time is just a GUI. The real magic is done by rsync (take snapshots and restore), diff (check if somethind changed) and cp (make hardlinks).

Back In Time acts as a “user mode” backup system. This means that you can backup/restore only folders you have write access to (actually you can backup read-only folders, but you can’t restore them).

In order to reduce disk space, it use the following rules:

• a new snapshot is created only if the last snapshot (if any) is different from the current directories state
• when a new snapshot is created, it use hard-links (if possible) for files that are not modified

When you restore a file ‘A’, if it already exists on the file system it will be renamed to ‘A.backup.<current data>’.

For automatic backup it use “cron” so there is no need for a daemon, but “cron” must be running.

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Getting Started

You can start the application in the following ways:

• Applications Menu: System Tools > Back In Time
• Command line:

backintime [ path | --backup ]

• path: go directly to the specified file or directory
• –backup: take a snapshot now (if needed)

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Main Window

The main window is divided in 3 lists:

1. Timeline: allow you to navigate between ‘now’ and snapshots
2. Places: allow to quickly navigate to special folders: home, root, bookmarks and directories to backup
3. Files: allow to navigate through the file system at the moment specified in timeline list. Files can be opened (double-click) using gnome file association. Keep in mind that snapshots are ‘readonly’.

If you right-click and item in the file list you will see the following menu:

• Open the item using gnome-open
• Copy selected item (you can paste it into your file-manager)
• Snapshots: show all snapshots for the current file/directory
• Restore (only for snapshots items) selected file/directory

Main toolbar (the one on the left) items are:

• Take a new snapshot now
• Show configure dialog
• Show about dialog
• Show help
• Quit the application

Files toolbar (the one on the right) items are:

• Go to parent directory
• Current path
• Restore current file/directory
• Copy current file/directory
• Show all snapshots for the current file/directory

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Settings Dialog

Where to save snapshots is self-explaining.

What to backup define the directories you want to backup. From this directories you can exclude some files/directories using exclude pattern. By default it exclude hidden (”.*”) and “*.backup*” files/directories.

Automatic backup can be set to: none (default), every 5 minutes, every 10 minutes, every hour, every day, every week, every month. If your backup directory is on a removable drive (ex: usb-drive) it is recommended to set automatic backup to none and take manual snapshots when the drive is plugged.

You can automatically remove snapshots older then a specific date or if the free space is less then a specified value.

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Snapshots Dialog

Show all snapshots for a specific file or directory.

Double-click an item in the snapshots list to open it with gnome file associations.

When you select an item, you can:

• jump to
• copy to clipboard
• compare it with another snapshot (by default it use meld, but you can change this from ‘Diff Options’)

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Integration with Nautilus

It is not are “real” integration with Nautilus but it is simple to setup.

You need to install nautilus-actions. On Ubuntu you can install it with the command:

sudo apt-get install nautilus-actions

Now just create an action from System menu: Preferences > Nautilus Actions Configuration.

Step 1. Click Add button

Step 2. Menu Item & Action Tab

Step 3. Conditions Tab

Step 4. Advanced conditions Tab

Step 5. Click OK button, and you should see the new action in actions list

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Reviews

• www.penguinsightings.org

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FAQ

When I press ‘Take snapshot’ I see no new snapshot in ‘Timeline’

A new snapshot is created only if the last snapshot (if any) is differet from the current directories state.

I set automatic backup to every hours but there is only one snapshot

A new snapshot is created only if the last snapshot (if any) is differet from the current directories state.

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Change Log

Version 0.8.8

• SnapshotsDialog: add diff
• update Spanish translation (Francisco Manuel García Claramonte <franciscomanuel.garcia@hispalinux.es>)

Version 0.8.6

• fix change backup path crush
• add SnapshotsDialog

Version 0.8.2

• add right-click menu in files list: open (using gnome-open), copy (you can paste in Nautilus), restore (for snapshots only)
• add Copy toolbar button for files list

Version 0.8.1

• add every 5/10 minutes automatic backup

Version 0.8

• don’t show backup files (*~)
• add backup files to default exclude patterns (*~)
• makedeb.sh: make a single package with all languages included
• install.sh: install all languages
• add English manual (man)
• add English help (docbook)
• add help button in main toolbar
• the application can be started with a ‘path’ to a folder or file as command line parameter
• when the application start, if it is already runnig pass it’s command line to the first instance (this allow a basic integration with file-managers)
• bug fix: when the application was started a second time it raise the first application’s window but not always focused

Version 0.7.4

• if there is already a GUI instance running raise it
• add Spanish translation (Francisco Manuel García Claramonte <franciscomanuel.garcia@hispalinux.es>)

Version 0.7.2

• better integration with gnome icons (use mime-types)
• remember last path
• capitalize month in timeline (bug in french translation)

Version 0.7

• fix cron segfault
• fix a crush when launched the very first time (not configured)
• multi-lingual support
• add French translation

Version 0.6.4

• remove About & Settings dialogs from the pager
• allow only one instance of the application

Version 0.6.2

• remember window position & size

Version 0.6

• when it make a snapshot it display an icon in systray area
• the background color for group items in timeline and places reflects more the system color scheme
• during restore only restore button is grayed ( even if everything is blocked )

Version 0.5.1

• add size & date columns in files list
• changed some texts

Version 0.5

• First release.

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Download

Version	Download
0.8.8	Ubuntu Hardy/Intrepid (all versions)	backintime-0.8.8_all.deb
	Source	backintime-0.8.8_src.tar.gz

You can download older versions here.

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