Tuesday, December 8, 2020

How I backup my files

Backups are important. You never know when you will lose your files! A good backup tool and a good backup procedure are essential in today's digital world.

I've been using Unison as my 'backup' solution for a while now,  though it is more of a file synchronization tool. It allows me to efficiently replicate my Documents folder (which is about 20GB) across my Linux devices. Fortunately, Linux is my main OS.

I use a desktop in the office, a laptop at home, and a laptop I carry with me. I also have an external drive at home as extra backup storage which contains a VeryCrypt volume. My Documents folder contains essential files only.  It does not contain media files like photos, mp3s, and videos.

Recently, I purchased a storage volume from Digital Ocean to use as extra backup storage in the cloud,  which I also sync using Unison. This will allow me to access my files anywhere and in Windows. I don't want Google to see my files in the meantime.

I make sure to sync my office desktop, my cloud backup, and my laptop before I leave the office. When I arrive home, I sync my laptop with my home laptop. I only sync my external storage on weekends.

All I can say is Unison made my life easier and you should give it a try.