Revision as of 19:28, 5 August 2010

Installation of Areca

To install Areca on Linux, download the latest release from Areca's website. This manual is made with areca-7.1.5-linux-gtk-32.tar.gz and also tested with Areca 7.1.6.

1. In Dolphin right-click on the downloaded areca...tar.gz > Extract archive here.
2. To start Areca simply start the file areca.sh which is in the directory "areca".

Required change for Areca 7.1.5 (not for version 7.1.6)

Because of a problem with respect to the current version of gtk2 in Pardus 2009 it's necessary to modify the file /areca/bin/areca_run.sh.

Open this file in KWrite and add the following bold line.

#Options
JAVADIR=/usr/java
export GDK_NATIVE_WINDOWS=true

and Save /areca/bin/areca_run.sh (this problem has beeen solved in the release 7.1.6 of Areca).

Creating a Menu entry

To make a entry in menu right-click on the Menu icon > Menu Editor.

1. Select the Submenu [1] in which the menu item for Areca will be placed.
2. Make a New Item [2].
3. Enter the name [3].
4. Create the item [4].

1. Goto [1] the location of the file areca.sh and select this file.
2. Goto [2] > Other icons > Browse... > ../icons/ the location of the icon file [3] and select ico_72.png > Open.
3. Save [4] the menu entry.

General information

For a general manual of Areca have a look here.

Areca will need a directory where it will store the configuration of your backup settings (what files to backup, where to store them, which files types must be filtered, whether the backups are compressed or encrypted, and so on). This "configuration directory" is called a "workspace".The settings for each group is saved in a group_name.xml file in the workspace directory.

After the first start of Areca select Workspace > Preferences... > Startup > mark Open this workspace: and choose the location for this "configuration directory".

Backup to a local directory on a hard disk or mounted usb device

Add new group in Areca

1. Open the Edit [1] dialog.
2. Add a New group [2].
3. Enter a name [3] for this group.
4. Save [4] this group.

Add new target in Areca

When you want to use a USB-stick/hard disk be sure that the USB device is inserted and mounted.

The USB device should have this write access properties.

1. Select group [1] in which the new target should be added.
2. Open the Edit [2] dialog.
3. Check if Main is selected and enter a name [3] for this target.
4. Select the location [4] for this target.
5. When the location is a USB device select the label [5] of the USB device on which the backup should be placed.
6. Create an new folder [6] and name [7]in which the backup should be placed (this step is optional).
7. Save [8] the location.
8. Select the Source [8] dialog and drag-drop your file/directory from Dolphin/Konqueror to here [10].
9. Save [11] the settings for this target.

Backup new target with Areca

1. Select target [1] and open [2] the Backup dialog.
2. Start backup [3] and if successful the result will be shown at [4].

Automatic backup with Cron Task Scheduler

For this the "Generate backup strategy commands..." option of Areca is used.

Required symlink

In order for these .sh scripts to work after the are placed in one of the /etc/cron.* directories, it is necessary to create a Java symlink.

Open a Konsole and enter the following command:

sudo ln -sv /opt/sun-jdk/ /usr/java

Required rootaction menu

For Pardus 2009: none as kde-servicemenu-rootactions has been installed by default.

For Pardus 2008: install servicemenu-rootactions with sudo pisi it http://pakete.pardususer.de/pardus-2008/servicemenu-rootactions-2.4.7.1-2.pisi -y

Creating task

1. Select target [1] for which the task should be created.
2. Open Generate backup strategy commands... [2]>[2a]>[2b]
3. At [3] are the values of my general recommendation and change them according to your wishes.
4. The location of the generated script is at [4] and confirm with Save [5] and OK [6].

Moving generated scripts

We only have to move (as root) these generated script (.sh files) to the appropriate /etc/cron.* directory.

1. Open Dolphin and goto the location + select one of the generated .sh files and right-click > Root Actions > Open File Manager here
2. Move the files to:

..._group_1_every_1_days.sh > right-click > Move to > Browse > /etc/cron.daily > OK
..._group_1_every_7_days.sh > right-click > Move to > Browse > /etc/cron.weekly > OK
..._group_1_every_28_days.sh > right-click > Move to > Browse > /etc/cron.monthly > OK

and close Dolphin (2x).

Recovering a backup on a different computer

This are some tips on how to recover a backup to a different computer as the one the backup has been made on.

1. Transfer the backup directory (or connect the backup device) to the second computer,
2. Install the Areca software.
3. Open Areca > Workspace > Import... > Source directory > Select... the backup directory > find/select the *.bcfg file > Import.
4. Modify (almost always necessary) the path to the backup Directory: Select Target [1]@Creating task (see above) > Edit > Edit target.. > modify Local Repository > Save and the Archive should become visible in Areca.
5. Select top archive > Run > Recover...

And if all is well the backup is recovered in the directory ...../rcv/ and you can transfer (in Dolphin) the files/directories to the required position.

Backup to a remote Pardus 2008/2009 computer

Installation of required package on remote computer

On the remote (server) computer open the Package Manager and install the package vsftpd.

Activation of Vstpd:

In Pardus 2008:

Tasma > System > Service Manager > select vsFTP Deamon > 
put a mark at {Run on startup} and activate the (green) Start button > close Tasma.

In Pardus 2009:

System Settings > Service Manager > goto vsftpd > 
put a mark at {Run on start} and activate the Start service button > 
wait for the green vsftpd flag  > close System Settings

Firewall settings

Pardus 2008: Disable the Firewall.

Pardus 2009: (on remote computer) System Settings > Firewall Manager > NO mark at Block Incoming Connections

Add new target in Areca for ftp

1. Select group [1] in which the new target should be added.
2. Open the Edit [2] dialog.
3. Check if Main is selected and enter a name [3] for this target.
4. Set a mark at [4] and select the location [5] for this target.
5. Enter the IP address [6] of the server and a valid user name and password [7] (see also remark below).
6. Enter '/' or an already existing directory at [8] and Test [9] the connection.
7. After using the Test [9] button you can change (if required) the Remote directory to a new directory which will be created on the first backup.
8. Add the directory [8] (= optional) in which the backup should be placed (on the server the backup will be placed in /home/user_name/..).
9. Save [10] the location.
10. Select the Source [11] dialog and drag-drop your file/directory from Dolphin/Konqueror to here [12].
11. Save [13] the settings for this target.

Remark: In order to make a backup of your .kde3.5 (P2008) or .kde4 (P2009) directory it's necessary to use your own user name and password at [7] because of the required privileges.

Backup new target with Areca for ftp

Look in chapter "Backup new target with Areca" above.

If Areca locks-up during the "backup new target" process because of some problems, wait ~3 minutes for Areca to automatically unlock itself.