Welcome to this application testing/download page...

I've been planning to offer automated tools for Linux for quite some time, and outside of a few scripts in the past, have not really focused on this project as much as I should.
This is the first of a new series I plan to write, and I am putting this up for testing for Linspire/Freespire/Debian users. Once a few people confirm that it works fine, and is usable for the most part, I will post it (and others to follow) onto a sourceforge project.
The goal is to create GUI tools and scripts to eliminate reliance on the command line for newer users. Anyone who has similar concepts, ideas or working scripts can join in and we will start creating a library of these on worldwide mirrors for anyone to freely download and use. They will do one or more of the following:

• Perform a useful function or act as a tool
• Install software including a usable configuration
• Assist with software configuration/installation
• Act as a front end to a custom script or procedure
• Related "wizard" or "automagic" functionality
• Generally be written as an interpreted script (Python, BASH, etc.)
• Include pre-configured desktop icons to run them
• Some will not be cross-distro due to the embedded commands used

This being a pre-release test site, I am targeting a limited audience for now, mostly people I know from the forums, and I wouldn't broadcast this URL.

On to the first app - This is a GUI Backup Utility for Linux. This one should work on any distro, you should already have Python installed, but you will need to (most likely) go to CNR and get the tiny package "python-tk" to run this (and others to follow). For Debian, use apt-get install python-tk

Changelog: Version 0.3
Version 0.3 is now supplied by the link, as of 6PM (EST) 15 June 2006
- directories selected will be "double quoted", to eliminate problems handling directories containing spaces.
- more help and a FAQ on free drive space required has been added
- fixed bug in version 0.2 passing the correct command to the burner in CD mode
- fixed display number showing total combined size of existing .iso's
- removed the test hack, temporary "split" files will not be saved, conserving drive space
- added more interactive "error" dialogs to remind the user when something is overlooked

Changelog: Version 0.2
The version downloadable below has been updated to version 0.2 as of 8:30PM (EST) 13 June 2006
- added mode selection to either create/burn .iso's in DVD or CD mode
- under CD mode, .iso's will be under 700Mb
- added extra CD options, "speed" and "blank", for users wanting other than the default
- changed /backup & /restore to go into the /opt directory, to work for non-root users
- added extra "confirm" dialogs in a few places
- the "burn" dialog displays the final burn command for review before running it
- fixed a few minor cosmetic glitches
- revised the interface so everything shows the dual-mode options
- revised the FYI on the main window, as well as added more help on the help tab

This app allows you to create a list of directories you want to back up (on a GUI screen) and then create DVD or CD .iso's, which are automatically split into a series of 4Gb or 700Mb .iso's which you can burn interactively, then restore the data later selectively using the copy/overwrite functions in the file manager. You may navigate to any path, and just burn specific subdirectories as well. You need a good amount of free space on your drive, double that of what you wish to back up (for temporary files and .iso's), though I try to delete unneccessary files at key strategic points to manage disk usage sensibly. The data is compressed with gzip to get the most mileage from your disks, and the permissions should be conserved.
There is a short help frame at the bottom of the main window to get you started, and another help button on the top menu to access more information. You mainly use the colored buttons for the first part (creation), in succession. There will be a console in the background which tells you everything that is happening. There are pop-up "ok" and "yes/no" buttons at various points, and when a time-consuming process is started, these will remain locked on "depress", until the function completes, and the screen will not refresh during that time. The console will show the progress at these times, and everything is set to "verbose".
On the top menu, you can choose your burner device (/dev/hdc /dev/hdd or other [type it in]), this can be done at any time, but if you exit the app you need to do it again next time. Also, to burn an .iso after it's created, click on one on the list in the lower box, and choose it with the "Select iso to burn" button at the top. If you choose Burn without setting these, it will have the default of "Burn unset to /dev/null". The app shouldn't crash, it's set to handle certain exceptions, others will show the error in the console window but not affect anything.
After burning, you should "delete iso files" to free up space on your drive (top menu).
"Data Restoration" on the top menu does all of the restore work. During the backup process, an /opt/backup directory will be created which holds the data and .iso's. During restore, an /opt/restore directory is created. The app may crash the file manager at times, no need to keep it running, but whenever you choose to look at anything via the file manager, you must click view-->reload to get the latest info. All backup data goes into the /opt/backup directory, and the restore data into /opt/restore, no other locations are used, though one file goes into /tmp briefly and then is moved. The restore process has 3 steps using the "data restoration" button on the top menu. First is to delete any pre-existing /opt/restore directory and create a new empty one. Then you must minimize or close the program, take each backup DVD or CD you have made in the proper order and copy the file on each one to the /opt/restore directory (use File Manager or another tool). Each disk (DVD or CD) will only have one file: xaa for the first disk, xab for the second, etc.
Once the xaa (xab, etc.) files are in /opt/restore, run the second command in "data restoration" called "merge", and when that's done, the last command: "Extract directory tree". You will get a confirmation when all is done. Exit the app and simply go to the /opt/restore directory with the file manager (be sure to "view"-->"reload" at every step as mentioned), and you will have the complete tree of all the data you backed up. Now it's your choice of what to copy or overwrite from there onto the main file system (generally using the File Manager).
Please post back feedback on the forums... thanks :)

Download backup.py (right-click and "save target as"). When you have it, it must be copied into /usr/local/bin. Overwrite any older version.

backup.py

Download Backups.desktop (this is the desktop icon to run the app, be sure to put it in your /root/Desktop or /home/user/Desktop folder (or both), and you should have a clickable desktop icon to start the app.

Backups.desktop

Good luck with it, more apps and content to be added soon.