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What to backup in fremantle?

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lists at harbaum

Nov 17, 2009, 4:31 AM

Post #1 of 4 (477 views)
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What to backup in fremantle?

Hi,

i have been asked to add the gpxview application data into the system backup
(http://maemo.org/packages/package_instance/view/fremantle_extras-testing_free_armel/gpxview/0.8.13-1/)

Now i see a fundamental problem here. All this data _is_ already stored on the internal
memory card for exactly the reason of surviving a re-flash. The problem is that the backup
is usually also stored on exactly that card (unless you explicitely ask to have it stored on the
external one).

So whenever my application data is lost (e.g. due to flashing of a new mmc image) the backups
on the internal card are also lost making any inclusion of my data into these backups rather
futile.

What is the correct way to handle this? What should go into the backup and is anything from the
internal memory card supposed to go into the backup or not?

Till

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anidel at gmail

Nov 17, 2009, 4:39 AM

Post #2 of 4 (453 views)
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Re: What to backup in fremantle? [In reply to]

2009/11/17 Till Harbaum <lists [at] harbaum>:
> Hi,
>
> i have been asked to add the gpxview application data into the system backup
> (http://maemo.org/packages/package_instance/view/fremantle_extras-testing_free_armel/gpxview/0.8.13-1/)
>
> Now i see a fundamental problem here. All this data _is_ already stored on the internal
> memory card for exactly the reason of surviving a re-flash. The problem is that the backup
> is usually also stored on exactly that card (unless you explicitely ask to have it stored on the
> external one).
>
> So whenever my application data is lost (e.g. due to flashing of a new mmc image) the backups
> on the internal card are also lost making any inclusion of my data into these backups rather
> futile.
>
> What is the correct way to handle this? What should go into the backup and is anything from the
> internal memory card supposed to go into the backup or not?
>
> Till
>

I never tried this, but I could back-up my N900 and bring the back-up
on a new unit and restore it there.
Say the first N900 has to be brought for some reason back to Nokia
(breaks later, loan expires, you name it).

In general, if you can't think of use cases, do it anyway, you never
know what people could come up with.

--
anidel
Sent from London, Eng, United Kingdom
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lists at harbaum

Nov 17, 2009, 4:59 AM

Post #3 of 4 (458 views)
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Re: Re: What to backup in fremantle? [In reply to]

Hi,

i actually did copy an entire system that way, but that also involved a backup to
the external card. My problems are
a) the default backup location is the internal card
b) the system doesn't differ between the card, so whatever goes into backups
to the external card also goes into backup on the internal one

Till

----- original Nachricht --------

Betreff: Re: What to backup in fremantle?
Gesendet: Di, 17. Nov 2009
Von: Aniello Del Sorbo<anidel [at] gmail>

> 2009/11/17 Till Harbaum <lists [at] harbaum>:
> > Hi,
> >
> > i have been asked to add the gpxview application data into the system
> backup
> >
> (http://maemo.org/packages/package_instance/view/fremantle_extras-testing_fr
> ee_armel/gpxview/0.8.13-1/)
> >
> > Now i see a fundamental problem here. All this data _is_ already stored on
> the internal
> > memory card for exactly the reason of surviving a re-flash. The problem is
> that the backup
> > is usually also stored on exactly that card (unless you explicitely ask to
> have it stored on the
> > external one).
> >
> > So whenever my application data is lost (e.g. due to flashing of a new mmc
> image) the backups
> > on the internal card are also lost making any inclusion of my data into
> these backups rather
> > futile.
> >
> > What is the correct way to handle this? What should go into the backup and
> is anything from the
> > internal memory card supposed to go into the backup or not?
> >
> > Till
> >
>
> I never tried this, but I could back-up my N900 and bring the back-up
> on a new unit and restore it there.
> Say the first N900 has to be brought for some reason back to Nokia
> (breaks later, loan expires, you name it).
>
> In general, if you can't think of use cases, do it anyway, you never
> know what people could come up with.
>
> --
> anidel
> Sent from London, Eng, United Kingdom
>

--- original Nachricht Ende ----

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andrew at bleb

Nov 17, 2009, 5:05 AM

Post #4 of 4 (452 views)
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Re: Re: What to backup in fremantle? [In reply to]

On Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 12:59, Till Harbaum <lists [at] harbaum> wrote:
>
> i actually did copy an entire system that way, but that also involved a
> backup to the external card. My problems are
> a) the default backup location is the internal card
> b) the system doesn't differ between the card, so whatever goes into
> backups�to the external card also goes into backup on the
> internal one

(a) and (b) may result in one or two bugs being raised, but if your
application writes user data, it should be included in a backup.

Use cases which should be supported:

* User creates backup on external card (or moves an existing backup
there), flashes eMMC and restores.

* User takes backup to another device and restores.

* User uses the "Clear personal data from device" option in Settings
and restores a backup.

All three should result in the same behaviour. You shouldn't decide
that "because I write stuff to /home/user/.gpxview I don't need to
include it in a backup" unless it's transient cache data anyway.

BTW, was there ever a bug raised for the fact that you've got no way
of selecting "Application data"? I know it's something Graham
previously raised on the list.

Cheers,

Andrew

--
Andrew Flegg -- mailto:andrew [at] bleb | http://www.bleb.org/
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