[SGVLUG] Mondo backups on "mondo" tape drives

[David Lawyer]

On Wed, Oct 19, 2005 at 10:45:36AM -0700, Dustin wrote:

> The major thing I know about afio is that it compresses individual files, 
> whereas tar compresses the archive all at once.  Tar therefore gets better 
> compression ratios, but if the archive gets corrupted it usually destroys 
> the entire archive whereas it may only hit one file with afio.

I used to use tbackup in the late 1990's and then it became
unmaintained.  It had options to use cpio/afio, etc.  I got the source
to see how to fix it and found the source was split up into perhaps 50
different files for modularity.  I wrote to the developer to ask him
to fix it.  He said in effect "no time".  So I guess it just died.  I
selected it after checking the Internet to find the best medium size
backup.  There's still stuff about it today on the Internet.  Here's
some excerpts: 
			David Lawyer

                                   Tbackup

           One of the best programs for handling tape cartridges!

                                [hunder.gif]

   Tbackup is a user friendly, flexible and powerful tape backup program.
   Here you are some of its characteristics:
     * It keeps an index for storing easily and safely multiple archives
       on a tape.
     * It has both a menu-driven user-friendly interface for interactive
       use and a flexible command line interface for use in scripts and
       automatic maintenance.
     * It handles multi-volume archives (even if the volumes have
       different lengths, and span on partially used cartridges).
     * It can back-up from streams, so that you can tar a group of files,
       compress them with your favourite program, crypt them and save them
       to a tape with a single command line, or you can redirect your
       printouts to the tape.
     * The archives can be retrieved even WITHOUT Tbackup.
     __________________________________________________________________

     * To: [12]debian-devel at lists.debian.org
     * Subject: How to become maintainer of a package???
     * From: Mark Phillips <[13]mark at infoeng.flinders.edu.au>
     * Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 07:56:17 +0930
     * Message-id: <[14]20010403075617.K12197 at ist.flinders.edu.au>
     * User-agent: Mutt/1.2.5i
     __________________________________________________________________

Hi,

I have been a user of Debian for years now.  I have been wanting to
contribute something back to the project, but haven't had the time
because I was doing a PhD.  I have just submitted my thesis (Yay!!!)
and suddenly have a bit more time on my hands!

There is a program I use for backups called Tbackup.  It is a very
nice bit of software and released under GPL, so I was surprised to
find that there was no Debian package for it!  Well, my idea is that I
could try and package this software for Debian and volunteer to
maintain it!  Now I've never packaged anything before, and I don't
know much about the ins and outs of becoming a maintainer, hence this
email asking for some help.  Perhaps people could tell me what I
should do, or what I should read.

One of the big advantages of Tbackup over other backup software I've
found, is that Tbackup includes error correction codes.  This means
that if your backup ever gets a little corrupted, there's a good
chance it can recover anyway!  This is functionality that tar and afio
don't provide.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, this never happened since it's not in Debian.  I wonder if it's
worthwhile reviving ??  	DL