#Freefilesync ubuntu how to
#Freefilesync ubuntu install
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So, using flatpak FreeFileSync for backups, as used by OP, might be a very wrong solution if the configuration files of flatpak apps have some value (and that's the case, of course, with emails, or with browsers configuration.).įreeFileSync downloaded from its website and installed does not have this limitation, and can even back itself up. I just warn that flatpak FreeFileSync can only back up its own configuration directory and not any other flatpak application one. I don't know if you use FreeFileSync, in flatpak or not, and how you use it.įlatpak applications do store their configuration files in your home, whatever its location, and I don't know if it is possible to change this (at least, it is not an option offered by Flatseal). I do have to restore both apps latest backups after a Timeshift restore but that only takes a few seconds each. The calendar backups take up less than 37kB each and the sticky notes are less than 7kB each (big deal). It only takes a few seconds and helps to protect me from forgetting to back it up before restoring a Timeshift snapshot (which, sadly I have done on occasion ). While I've always backed up my user data for both apps to one of my data drives from time to time and before restoring a Timeshift snapshot, I recently have implemented a policy of, every time I make or change an entry in one or the other app, I immediately backup the app's user date. Fortunately, both have the option to backup user data to wherever a user chooses, which is what I do.

Their developers designed the apps to save their data in /home without the option for users to save the default save location. * The two exceptions are Evolution Calendar and Sticky Notes. I keep all my user data on separate data drives with two exceptions.* My boot drive/partitions get backed up with Rescuezilla imaging.

That's rarely, if ever, a problem for me since I do not backup any part of my boot drive/partition (depending on the computer), including /home, using FreeFileSync. It is not available by default for FreeFileSync, and user should write it if he wants to use 'pkexec' with FreeFileSync (see 'man pkexec').Ī trick allows to create a 'gksudo' alias, based on 'pkexec', with a default PolicyKit authorization check if the '.bash_aliases' file exists in your home, if not create it then with your favorite text editor (Xed for me) copy the following line at the end of the file (or at its beginning if file is empty): Today, the command to use is 'pkexec', but it works only for programs for which a PolicyKit authorization is available. Formerly, GUI programs could be launched with superuser privileges with the 'gksudo' command, now deprecated and no longer available.

#Freefilesync ubuntu install

It is a 'tar.gz' file once downloaded I decompress it and I execute the installation program (with '.run' extension) I choose to install it in the opt directory in my home.

#Freefilesync ubuntu download

I use FreeFileSync for Linux downloaded from download page.

#Freefilesync ubuntu how to

So, how to launch FreeFileSync with superuser privileges? Superuser privileges are mandatory in order to save files with their permissions.īut FreeFileSync flatpak has a strong limitation: as a flatpak, it cannot access files in directories or subdirectories having 'var' or '.var' in their path, except its own ones.Īs a consequence, it will not back up the content of any flatpak application profile, since these profiles are stored in your '/home/ username/.var/app'.Īs an example, if you use Thunderbird flatpak, all your mails are archived in '/home/ username/.var/app/' and CANNOT be backed up. When FreeFileSync flatpak is installed in the system (default option), it is launched with superuser privileges, without the need to add 'sudo' at the beginning of the command line.