FTP is one of the oldest network protocols still in use. In its first iteration, it was created in 1971 as a way to quickly move files between computers and has been in continuous use ever since. It’s particularly common on the web, where it is responsible for moving files and data.
Unfortunately, while common, it is also insecure. FTP transmits user credentials, file contents, and other data in the clear. For that reason, anyone with a packet sniffer and a bit of patience is free to take a look at it.
This video looks at the security of FTP traffic. It covers:
How to set up an FTP server on Windows Server 2008 and configure a simple site
The use of a packet sniffer (Wireshark) on Ubuntu to monitor network traffic
Despite all of its strengths, Back In Time has one major weakness: it doesn’t support backup over a network. But luckily, it runs on Linux,the single most customizable operating system in the world! As a result even though Back In Time might not officially support a backup to a remote computer, you can still make it work through a little bit of spit and grit.
The magical sauce is the Fuse SSH file system. This kernel module allows for Linux to mount a remote share as a local drive. And by doing so, Back In Time thinks that it is working with a local folder even though the data might be sent across the network or internet. To make it work, though, you’ll have to work at the command line and do a bit of programming. But, don’t panic because it isn’t that hard. It amounts to a few shell commands and about six lines of code. Below, I’ll show you how in seven simple steps.
Linux is a bit of a funny creature. In many ways, it’s the most integrated and full featured operating system in existence. Take software development, for example. You couldn’t ask for a more integrated, well thought out solution. The tools are absolutely first rate, the system is stable, and because the platform is open source, most of the rough edges get worn off rather quickly.
But there’s also a downside to open source. You see, everyone tends to scratch their own itch first. Thus, while there are a bevy of tools that perfectly meet the needs of a few (most notably their authors), they often miss the needs of the many. That is a problem, because the masses don’t necessarily have the skill set required to adapt an already existing program so that it fits them. If anything, this is why Microsoft is valuable. They create software that more or less handles the needs of the masses.
And as might be expected, this is also the state of backup on Linux. It is no understatement to say that you can get your hands on the very best backup tools available, for free. All it requires is that you use some derivative of the following:
sudo apt-get install toolname
Unfortunately, while you can find the very best tools, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be able to use them. Rather that be written with the end-user in mind, they were created for programmers and system administrators. You know, the type of people who wonder why anyone would bother with a user interface. After all, it’s so much faster to do everything from the command line.
The result is that while the Linux backup tools may be powerful, they also have a learning curve steep enough to bang your head against. And that is an absolute shame. In general, I (and a great deal of humanity in general) am against activities that require me to learn new things or otherwise grow in what might end up being a painful direction. Even if it is for a good cause. (And I can think of few more important than making sure thatmy personal information is safe and secure.) Ideally, I want backup to be easy. I want to “Set it and forget it.” Time Machine for Mac OS X allows me to do this, as does the Windows Vista File Backup. But at first pass, such a solution for Linux is woefully absent.
That’s not to say that there aren’t contenders. In fact, a quick search on Google will reveal several: sbackup, Flyback, and TimeVault all look promising. But if you look at their project pages, you will notice something disconcerting: in each case, the programs are old and there isn’t much recent activity. This is typically a bad sign for an open source project. No activity usually means that the program is dead and unlikely to advance further. And that is really too bad, because sbackup, Flyback and TimeVault are good programs with potential. But, like many other open source options, they have a number of very rough edges.
Maybe that’s why I got so excited when I saw a new contender, called “Back In Time,” when it was recently featured on Lifehacker. At the time, I thought, “Have I finally found a backup program I can really use?” Now, after four months of using it full time, I can answer that question: Yes! Without a doubt!
FTP is one of the oldest network protocols still in use. In its first iteration, it was created in 1971 as a way to quickly move files between computers and has been in continuous use ever since. It’s particularly common on the web, where it is responsible for moving files and data.
Linux is a bit of a funny creature. In many ways, it’s the most integrated and full featured operating system in existence. Take software development, for example. You couldn’t ask for a more integrated, well thought out solution. The tools are absolutely first rate, the system is stable, and because the platform is open source, most of the rough edges get worn off rather quickly.
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