Chapter 3. Backup
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## Chapter 3. Backup

If you have configured all your directories you may switch to the backup tab:

Figure 3.1. Backup

You can start the backup process by pressing the big "Backup" button at the top.

The only option activated by default is “Compress files”. File compression can save a considerable amount of storage space in your destination directory but also slows down the backup and restore process.

You can also configure JBackpack to remind you to backup your data at a given interval.

If you do not want to backup all the data of your source directory, you can select the checkbox “Exclude files”. This enables another set of options:

Figure 3.2. Excludes

In the file patterns textarea you can define files or directories you want to exclude. Die file patterns are regular expressions (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_expression). The button on the right hand side (with the big green “plus” icon) opens a filechooser that simplifies selecting and adding files and directories you want to exclude.

You can also make exceptions from the exclusions. This is very helpful in more complicated backup settings, like in the following example. Assume that you have this directory structure:

        /Users─┐
               ├─alice
               ├─bob
               ├─other1
               ├─other2
               ├─...
               └─otherN

If you only want to backup `/Users/alice/` and `/Users/bob/` you have to configure `/Users/` as the source directory, add `/Users/` as excluded file pattern and add `/Users/alice/` and `/Users/bob/` to the exceptions.

On the right hand side you can exclude files by their features:

- size (you can specify a minimum and a maximum size)

- if it is located on the same filesystem as the source directory

- if it is a symbolic link

- if it is a device file

- if it is a socket

- if it is a named pipe

More information about symbolic links, device files, sockets and named pipes can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_file_types

If you start the backup process you see the following progress information:

Figure 3.3. Running backup

It shows:

- the number of already backed up files

- the currently backed up file

- the time already spent

You can also choose to shutdown the computer when the backup operation is finished. You have to have administrative privileges and provide your password. You can also cancel the backup operation.

When the backup operation finishes, the following summary is displayed:

Figure 3.4. Backup summary

Most of the time there is not much else to do after running a backup. Therefore JBackpack sets the default focus to the “Quit JBackpack” button. You can just press Enter or click on the “Quit JBackpack” button. If you really want to continue using JBackpack, please use the “Continue using JBackpack” button.

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2.2. Destination directory | Home | Chapter 4. Restore