Full and partial backups¶
Full backup¶
A full backup (the app's Everything choice, or deucalion backup with no folders) copies:
- your whole home folder, except what is left out (caches, the Trash and similar, by default);
- any extra folders you added outside your home folder (see Back up a folder outside your home);
- the system recipe, unless you turned it off.
Only files that are new or changed are actually copied. Files that are gone from your computer move to Removed Files.
The date of your last full backup is shown on the Overview page. If it is 7 days old or more, the app reminds you with a bar at the top of the Overview page.
Partial backup¶
A partial backup (the app's Only some folders, or deucalion backup --only …) updates only
the folders or files you choose. It is quick, for example to update ~/Documents before you leave.
- Only what you chose is compared and copied.
- Everything else in the backup is left exactly as it was: a partial backup never moves anything outside your selection to Removed Files. Inside the folders you chose, it works like a full backup: files you deleted there do move to Removed Files.
- The system recipe is not saved.
- You can choose folders in your home folder or in an extra folder you added. Other places are refused: "… is not inside your home folder or a configured extra folder."
If you often back up the same folders, save them as a profile in the terminal
(deucalion profile add work ~/Projects ~/Documents/Work) and use it with
deucalion backup --profile work. See Save and use a profile. Profiles
are only available on the command line.
A rebuild needs a full backup
A rebuild uses the system recipe, which only full backups save. Back up Everything regularly, and always before you move to a new computer.