[GNC-dev] GnuCash 3 on Linux

[Wm]

On 07/03/2019 23:42, David Cousens wrote:

> I backup all user data including hidden directories on my hard disk to an
> NAS so no matter where it is I have it copied. I do full backups monthly
> with daily incrementals and usually retain them for 3 months these days.  I
> off load the backups onto USB for offsite storage as well now that they are
> big enough. I'm retired so the data flow is very much reduced these days. I
> also do selective backups to offsite cloud locations of critical data
> including GnuCash. For those I backup all the data in the locations given
> for v3+ in the wiki Configuration Locations for GnuCash. I don't bother with
> the aplication config in /usr/local/etc/gnucash as I don't edit anything in
> it.  My desktop is also synced with my laptop and my wife's laptop- not
> really secure as a backup as any saved changes get propagated including
> those that might take the system down but it has helped with some simple
> problems. My NAS is NFS4 based so my Linux boxes communicate pretty easliy
> with it (it is mounted when switched on on all computers and Samba takes
> care of the one Windows machine. Took a while to setup but the NAS initiates
> backups to itself on a schedule. Also backs up our mobile phones.
> 
> When I was operating a business and in a past side job as a systems manager,
> I used a Towers of Hanoi (annual/quarterly/monthly/weekly/incremental)
> backup plan.
> 
> The locations I would backup as a matter of course would be the ones
> labelled GNC_DATA_HOME and GNC_CONFIG_HOME ( and all files and
> subdirectories in those locations) in the diagrams. I haven't bothered
> customising the gtk-3 setup for GnuCash so I wouldn't bother with the GTK
> locations.

Devil's advocate:

If (I am not wishing this on you, David, or anyone else, but it is not 
an unreasonable thing to think about if you are in Oz) flood or fire 
destroyed your home and your computer systems would you know what to 
restore?

I think you don't or can't know what to restore wrt gnc at the moment.

Making a backup plan is good but purposeless if there isn't a restore 
plan to match.

re GNC_DATA_HOME and GNC_CINFIG_HOME you don't seem to have grasped that 
these are not consistent!

At the risk of re-using stuff take a look at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitch%27s_paradox_of_knowability

In plain terms you may have a good back up strategy but have you tried 
putting it all back together?  I think not, if only because the gnc bits 
will be all over the place.  Will you have the latest version of all the 
files?  Probably.  Will you be able to put it together as it last was? 
Unlikely.

-- 
Wm